United States v. Imari Glover

CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedFebruary 17, 2026
Docket24-5806
StatusPublished

This text of United States v. Imari Glover (United States v. Imari Glover) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Imari Glover, (6th Cir. 2026).

Opinion

RECOMMENDED FOR PUBLICATION Pursuant to Sixth Circuit I.O.P. 32.1(b) File Name: 26a0043p.06

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT

┐ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, │ Plaintiff-Appellee, │ > No. 24-5806 │ v. │ │ IMARI C. GLOVER, aka Omar Glover, │ Defendant-Appellant. │ ┘

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga. No. 1:20-cr-00075-1—Curtis L. Collier, District Judge.

Argued: January 28, 2026

Decided and Filed: February 17, 2026

Before: GILMAN, GRIFFIN, and MURPHY, Circuit Judges. _________________

COUNSEL ARGUED: Terra L. Bay, Chattanooga, Tennessee, for Appellant. Luke A. McLaurin, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, Knoxville, Tennessee, for Appellee. ON BRIEF: Terra L. Bay, Chattanooga, Tennessee, for Appellant. Luke A. McLaurin, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, Knoxville, Tennessee, for Appellee. _________________

OPINION _________________

GRIFFIN, Circuit Judge.

Defendant Imari C. Glover robbed a Cash Express with help from his then-girlfriend, Shelby Beam. He pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery. Eleven days after signing his plea agreement, an image of a rat in the crosshairs of a riflescope was posted on his Facebook profile. No. 24-5806 United States v. Glover Page 2

At sentencing, the district court enhanced Glover’s Guidelines range because the robbery involved a “financial institution,” as contemplated in the Guidelines, and because Glover acted in a leadership role when carrying out the robbery. The district court denied Glover an acceptance of responsibility reduction because of the rat picture. Glover was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment—the top of his Guidelines range.

On appeal, Glover argues that the Cash Express is not a “financial institution” under the Guidelines and that he did not lead the robbery. He further argues that his plea agreement entitled him to an acceptance of responsibility reduction and that his sentence is substantively unreasonable. We disagree and affirm.

I.

On March 7, 2020, Glover robbed a Cash Express—a “non-bank provider of check cashing services, prepaid debit cards, and short-term lending products including [a] flexible line of credit . . . [and] title and pawn loans”—with codefendant and then-girlfriend, Beam. Beam entered the business while Glover remained outside. Beam engaged with the clerk under the guise of securing a loan. She then told the clerk that she needed to return to her vehicle to retrieve some identification. As Beam left, she held the door open so that Glover could rush in. Glover jumped the counter and brandished a pistol at the clerk. Glover then placed the clerk in a chokehold and demanded that she open the safe. The clerk complied. Glover left the Cash Express with $2,680.

Two days later, officers initiated a stop of a vehicle registered to Beam. The car sped off, and the officers pursued. After the vehicle eventually came to a stop, the driver, later identified as Glover, fled on foot, leaving Beam behind in the car. Later that day, Beam implicated herself and Glover in the Cash Express robbery. Beam told officers that she feared Glover would assault her, as he had done in the past, so she had done what Glover told her to do. Glover was later arrested.

Glover was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm (Count I), Hobbs Act robbery (Count II), brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence (Count III), and retaliating against a federal witness (Count IV). Pursuant to a written plea agreement, Glover pleaded No. 24-5806 United States v. Glover Page 3

guilty to committing Hobbs Act robbery. The plea agreement stipulated that, at sentencing, the government would not oppose a two-level reduction for acceptance of responsibility under § 3E1.1(a) of the Guidelines, and, if applicable, would recommend a one-level reduction under § 3E1.1(b). The plea agreement included a caveat that the government would not be held to either condition if Glover engaged in “any conduct or ma[d]e any statements that are inconsistent with accepting responsibility for [his] offense(s).”

Eleven days after signing the agreement, Glover’s Facebook cover photo was updated to an image of a rat in the crosshairs of a riflescope:

Glover has several aliases, including Omar.

A probation officer then prepared Glover’s presentence report (PSR). From a base offense level of 20, the PSR included a two-level enhancement because Cash Express was a “financial institution,” a six-level enhancement because Glover brandished a firearm during the robbery, and a two-level enhancement because Glover physically restrained the store clerk during the robbery. Further, the PSR added two levels because Glover acted in a leadership role during the robbery, two levels for obstruction of justice based on Glover’s text threats against Beam, and an additional two levels for obstruction of justice based on the March 9 vehicular No. 24-5806 United States v. Glover Page 4

pursuit. After all these enhancements, Glover’s total offense level was 36. The PSR did not apply a three-level acceptance of responsibility adjustment.

With a total offense level of 36 and a criminal history category of III, the PSR calculated Glover’s Guidelines sentencing range as 235 to 293 months. But because the statutory maximum sentence for Count II is 240 months, the effective Guidelines range recommended by the PSR was 235 to 240 months.

At sentencing, the district court rejected Glover’s objection to the PSR’s finding that the Cash Express was a “financial institution” within the meaning of § 2B3.1(b)(1) of the Guidelines. The district court also rejected Glover’s objections to the PSR’s denial of an acceptance of responsibility reduction and its application of the leadership enhancement. But the district court sustained two objections in Glover’s favor: it declined to apply an enhancement for obstruction of justice based on Glover’s threatening texts to Beam in October 2020 or a reckless endangerment enhancement based on the vehicular pursuit. The district court then calculated the Guidelines range to be 151 to 188 months. The district court imposed 188 months of imprisonment. Glover appealed.

II.

Glover first argues that the Cash Express is not a “financial institution” under § 2B3.1(b)(1) of the Guidelines. We review de novo legal interpretations of the Guidelines. United States v. Sands, 948 F.3d 709, 712–13 (6th Cir. 2020).

A two-level enhancement applies for a robbery offense if “the property of a financial institution or post office was taken.” U.S.S.G. § 2B3.1(b)(1). Section 2B3.1(b)(1) does not define “financial institution.” When construing the Guidelines, “we employ the traditional tools of statutory interpretation, beginning with the text’s plain meaning.” United States v. Babcock, 753 F.3d 587, 591 (6th Cir. 2014). If the language is unambiguous, our analysis ends there. Sands, 948 F.3d at 713. We begin with the dictionary definition of the term or phrase at issue. Id. No. 24-5806 United States v. Glover Page 5

A “financial institution” is a “business, organization, or other entity that manages money, credit, or capital, such as a bank, credit union, savings-and-loan association, securities broker or dealer, pawnbroker, or investment company.” Financial Institution, Black’s Law Dictionary (12th ed. 2024); see also Financial Institutions, Black’s Law Dictionary (6th ed. 1990) (similar). This broad definition plainly encompasses Cash Express businesses. After all, Cash Express is a stereotypical payday lender that provides loans and check cashing services. In other words, Cash Express is a “business . . . that manages money, credit, or capital,” with its primary offerings being financial in nature.

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