Al Sharpton’s half-brother pleads guilty to tax fraud, drug conspiracy charges, faces 20 years in prison

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Rev. Al Sharpton’s half-brother pleaded guilty to tax evasion, mail fraud, and drug conspiracy charges on Friday.

Kenneth Glasgow, an Alabama pastor, voting rights activist and half-brother to the famous Black pastor and MSNBC host, entered a guilty plea in Montgomery, Alabama federal court Friday, the Associated Press recently reported. 

Glasgow’s plea deal allowed the pastor to avoid a trial for his charges that would've been held in March. The pastor will be sentenced at a later date.

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Rev. Al Sharpton and his half-brother Kenneth Glasgow as they hand out holiday meals in 2006. (AP/Rick Helmke)

In addition to his ministry, Glasgow founded "The Ordinary People Society." The non-profit’s website describes it as a "faith-based organization that offers hope, without regard to race sex, creed, color or social status, to individuals and their families who suffer the effects of drug addiction, incarceration, homelessness, unemployment, hunger and illness."

He also founded the "Prodigal Child Project," another non-profit that openphilanthropy.org says "organizes pastors in the southern U.S. in support of prisoners, former prisoners, their families, and communities."

The 56-year-old minister has dedicated his career as an Alabama activist to restoring voting rights to former prisoners and prison reform. Like Sharpton, the minister is a major critic of America’s prison system and law enforcement.

However, throughout his active political career, prosecutors claimed Glasgow admitted he has failed to pay income taxes on thousands of dollars he withdrew from his two charities, and that he also committed Social Security fraud.

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Rev. Al Sharpton delivers sermon during Sunday Chapel at Howard University Cramton Auditorium on October 09, 2022 in Washington, DC.  (Brian Stukes/Getty Images)

AP stated that Glasgow claimed "Social Security disability benefits by falsely claiming on mailed forms that he had trouble driving." However, prosecutors noted that the minister received several traffic citations between 2015 and 2020 providing evidence that he had been driving.

In addition to fraud, Sharpton’s half-brother pleaded guilty to a drug conspiracy charge. He was recently found in possession of cocaine he was intent on distributing. Glasgow had also been charged with a drug conspiracy charge in 2021 along with an accomplice. 

In 2018, Glasgow was arrested on capital murder charges for the death of 23-year-old Breunia Jennings, who prosecutors claimed was shot in the head by someone in Glasgow’s car. 

However, as a local outlet reported, a federal grand jury deemed evidence was insufficient to proceed with the case against the minister, and the murder charge was dropped. 

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The U.S. attorney’s office claimed on Friday that the charges Glasgow pleaded guilty to could land him in prison for up to 20 years. In addition, he faces major fines and restitution payments for his crimes.

In a statement, FBI agent Paul Brown said, "Kenneth Glasgow’s actions not only endangered the community, but defrauded the American taxpayers. His guilty plea should help to dissuade others from following this same path."

Rev. Al Sharpton is seen arriving to the Philadelphia screening of "Loudmouth" during The 31st Philadelphia Film Festival on October 29, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images)