Baltimore Police Officer Facing Federal Indictment for Stealing $1,000 in Informant Funds from The Baltimore Police Department

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment today charging Ethan Glover, age 49, of Baltimore, Maryland, for the federal charges of false statements to law enforcement. Glover joined the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) on February 19, 2003.  He became a federal task force officer (TFO) with the Drug Enforcement Administration in 2013. 

The superseding indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

The superseding indictment alleges that Glover stole $1,000 in informant funds from the Baltimore Police Department.

Allegedly, in August 2018, Glover offered to pay a witness for information regarding a Baltimore City, Maryland vehicular homicide. Glover allegedly contacted the witness to arrange a date, time, and location to meet and exchange the information for a $1,000 payment. Once the witness signed paperwork provided by Glover and another individual, Glover paid the witness $1,000 sourced from the Baltimore Police Department Fiscal Section.

After the meeting with Glover, the witness ultimately decided not to serve as a BPD informant and wanted to return the $1,000 payment to Glover. The witness then returned the payment to Glover. Allegedly, Glover subsequently kept the $1,000 for himself and did not return it to BPD.

The original two-count indictment alleges, on April 8, 2016 Glover participated in the execution of a search warrant on John Avenue as a member of DEA Group 51.  Law enforcement recovered three duffel bags containing large amounts of cash and a handwritten document with currency totals stating there was $2,428,900 in the house.  Glover transported the cash from the residence to another location where a search warrant had been executed, and then to the DEA Baltimore Office, alone in his vehicle the entire time.  The indictment alleges that during the drive from John Avenue to the DEA Baltimore Office, Glover stole a portion of the cash seized at the John Avenue residence.  Ultimately, Glover took the seized cash to a professional counting service due to the large amount.  The counting service found that the amount of cash seized, inclusive of any suspected counterfeit bills, totaled $2,419,125, which is $9,775 less than what was actually seized at the John Avenue residence, according to the handwritten document recovered within the home. 

The indictment further alleges that Glover went to his then-girlfriend’s apartment with what he described to her as $10,000 in cash.  Glover allegedly hid the funds in her bathroom.  During conversations about the money, Glover told his girlfriend that he was followed by another law enforcement while driving the cash from the search warrant site and that the money came from a “big case” that had been recently featured on the news.  Approximately one week later, Glover allegedly moved the money from his girlfriend’s apartment to his home. 

On April 23, 2016, Glover allegedly used some of the cash stolen from the John Avenue search to buy his then-girlfriend a pair of shoes valued at $295 from a mall in Pennsylvania.  According to the indictment, in June 2016, his then-girlfriend moved into his home and saw a large sum of money hidden behind Glover’s refrigerator.

As detailed in the indictment and superseding indictment, on February 28, 2020, Glover participated in a voluntary interview with the FBI about a seizure that had occurred with the officer-in-charge of BPD’s Gun Trace Task Force.  Before being questioned, Glover confirmed that he understood that it was a crime to lie to the FBI agents interviewing him.  When questioned, Glover asked the interviewing agent how much the arrestee “is saying is missing?  Is it money or drugs?  How much did he say he had?  A million?” or words to that effect.  Glover told investigators that he did not witness any officer steal money during this seizure.  Glover also stated that he did not steal money from this particular seizure or any other case, saying, “I’ve never stolen anything in my life.  Never money or drugs.”

If convicted, Glover faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for theft of government property and five years in federal prison for making false statements to federal law enforcement.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  No court appearance is currently scheduled for Glover. 

An indictment is not a finding of guilt.  An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leo J. Wise and Christine Goo, who are prosecuting this case.

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