Columbia Men Sentenced to Lengthy Prison Terms After Federal Convictions for Large Scale Heroin Conspiracy

Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated that Michael Glover, a/k/a “Glove,” a/k/a “G,” a/k/a “HG,” age 48, and Jihad Salahadeen Pollard, age 44, both formerly of Columbia, South Carolina, were sentenced to lengthy sentences yesterday in federal court. Glover was sentenced to 324 months (27 years) imprisonment, which will be followed by 8 years of supervised release. Pollard was sentenced to 121 months  (10.08 years) imprisonment, which will be followed by 4 years of supervised release.

Glover and Pollard each plead guilty last year to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(B). Glover also plead guilty to a money laundering conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(h). Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr., of Columbia, imposed the sentences.     

Glover and Pollard were two of 10 defendants charged in April 2014, following a series of court-authorized, DEA-monitored wiretaps over several telephones in the Columbia area. The investigation revealed that a group of individuals in the Columbia area were obtaining large amounts of heroin from various sources outside of South Carolina and then distributing it in the Midlands. Evidence indicated that the suppliers were initially getting the heroin in packages from India. Several packages destined for Columbia and containing heroin were intercepted by law enforcement during the investigation. After those packages were intercepted, Glover and Pollard, along with their co-defendants, obtained heroin from suppliers in New York and transported it back to Columbia to stash houses and later distributed to street level dealers. The New York heroin suppliers were charged and convicted in the Eastern District of New York for their role in the heroin conspiracy.

Glover and Pollard were fugitives until their arrests in the summer of 2017 in San Antonio, Texas, where they were residing under false identities. Pollard was located after being arrested by Texas authorities for selling heroin. While in a Texas jail, a check of Pollard’s fingerprints determined that he was using a fake identity and wanted in South Carolina.  The following month, the United States Marshals Service located Glover in Texas using a false identity and brought him back to South Carolina. Glover, who has prior North Carolina state convictions for sale of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, was deemed a career offender by the court.

Six of their co-defendants were arrested in 2014 and plead guilty to their role in the drug conspiracy here in South Carolina and were sentenced in 2015 as follows: Eric Shawn Bradley, a/k/a “E,” age 50, of Columbia, was sentenced to 210 months imprisonment with 8 years of supervised release; Kenneth Crawford, age 44, of Washington, D.C., and formerly of Columbia, was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment with 8 years of supervised release; Charles Bradley, age 35, of Columbia, was sentenced to 57 months imprisonment with 6 years of supervised release to follow; Anthony Glover, age 43, of Columbia, was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment with 8 years of supervised release to follow; Larry Bookman, age 64, of Columbia, was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment with 6 years of supervised release; and Jessany Lyons, age 27, of Far Rockaway, New York, was sentenced to 37 months imprisonment with 3 years of supervised release. Two other co-defendants charged in the indictment remain fugitives and are innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) High Intensity Drug Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers from the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Columbia Police Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department, and the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia United States Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.

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