Two Milwaukee brothers have been sentenced after prosecutors said one of them staged a fake armed robbery to cover up a theft of an estimated $11,000 from a Walgreens near 76th and Mill. Zyren Stewart initially told investigators a stranger held a gun to his head and forced him to open the safe, but he later admitted the entire scheme was his own idea.
A Staged Robbery Story Starts To Unravel
According to FOX6 News Milwaukee, the theft occurred in March 2025, when Zyren Stewart reported that an unknown man approached him while he was closing the store, pointed a gun at the back of his head, and demanded to be taken to the safe. He estimated the suspect put $7,500 in a bag before fleeing. But Walgreens management told detectives that Zyren Stewart's behavior inside the store was unusual, and that he kept large amounts of money out in violation of store policy, according to the criminal complaint.
Investigators eventually got a different account. Zyren Stewart later admitted it was his idea to steal the money, and that he gave his brother, Xavier Stewart, the code to hide in the bathroom while the theft took place, per the report. Police said they were able to link a vehicle to Xavier Stewart through surveillance videos and court filings, and officers also found weapons linked to each of the men.
Older Brother Pleads Guilty To Gun Felonies
The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office had charged Xavier Stewart, 31, with four felonies, including theft, and one misdemeanor, according to court records cited by the station. Xavier Stewart was on extended supervision for a previous conviction at the time of the theft, the outlet reported. On October 9, he pleaded guilty to three gun-related felonies, and the remaining charges were dismissed.
Judge Susan Roth sentenced Xavier Stewart, described in the report as Zyren Stewart's older brother, to one year in prison followed by two years of extended supervision. He is due back in court for a restitution hearing in December, the station's report notes. A separate search-result snippet from the outlet had described him as 30 years old, a detail at odds with the 31-year-old age cited in the fuller account of his sentencing.
Younger Brother Gets Community Reintegration Center Stint
Zyren Stewart pleaded guilty in October to felony theft and a misdemeanor gun charge as part of a plea deal, per the same account. He was sentenced in January to six months in the Milwaukee County Community Reintegration Center followed by three years of probation.
Should Xavier Stewart wish to contest the restitution amount at his December hearing, Milwaukee County procedure allows for that dispute to be addressed through the court system. According to the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office, if a defendant wishes to contest the restitution amount requested by a victim, the judge can order a restitution evaluation hearing at a later date.
