DOJ: Pastor Glasgow should receive less punishment

DOTHAN, Ala. (WTVY) - Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to impose less stringent punishment on Kenneth Glasgow, a Dothan pastor who founded a nationally recognized outreach group.

Such recommendations are common when defendants plead guilty, as Glasgow did. However, a document shows, beyond pleading guilty, he did not cooperate in the investigation.

However, Glasgow’s sentencing scheduled for Thursday, June 1, will not happen on that date because, per a court filing, one of his three attorneys suffers from serious medical issues with an unspecified time needed to recover.

A ruling on that motion was made to reschedule the sentencing to Thursday, July 6.

Glasgow will almost certainly serve time for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base, tax evasion, and mail fraud, the charges he pleaded guilty to committing.

According to a federal document, Glasgow collected $407,450 from The Ordinary People’s Society, a Christian-based outreach, and Prodigal Child Project, non-profits he founded, in 2018 but told the IRS that he had no income to report that year.

He allegedly collected Social Security disability benefits, claiming he could not work. However, in other official documents, he said he worked 110 hours weekly for his non-profits without compensation.

To collect disability payments, Glasgow told the Social Security Administration that he struggled with mobility, dressing, and preparing meals. But he failed to answer questions about his ability to handle money, per DOJ.

He also allegedly used his non-profits to rent automobiles, though he had claimed others drove him around.

Records, DOJ claimed, revealed that Glasgow, civil rights leader Al Sharpton’s half-brother, received citations related to approximately 27 traffic stops between February 2015 and August 2020.

Dothan police charged him with Capital Murder in 2018, but a grand jury found those charges lacked evidence and refused to indict Glasgow.

Also, he faces other drug charges in Dothan and allegations that he assaulted a police officer during a traffic stop.

Two decades ago, he served 14 years on robbery and drug convictions. Glasgow claims that imprisonment inspired him to promote voting rights for felons, and he founded TOPS that advocates for social justice initiatives.

Glasgow occasionally voices his support law enforcement in their efforts to battle crime in mostly low-income, inner-city neighborhoods.

He worked with a national group two weeks ago to free non-violent female offenders from jail on Mother’s Day weekend.

Update to story has been made to reflect ruling motion to reschedule Glasgow’s sentencing to July 6.

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