Chattanooga man sentenced to nearly 16 years in prison for robbery

A Chattanooga man was sentenced to nearly 16 years in prison Wednesday for robbing a local Cash Express at gunpoint for $2,680.

In federal court, Imari Glover was sentenced to 188 months in prison for unlawfully obstructing, delaying, and impairing interstate commerce by committing a robbery on March 7, 2020. The maximum sentence for this offense is 20 years.

“I have made many mistakes in my life, but I am not an animal,” Glover said during the hearing.

Glover's accomplice, Shelby Beam, entered a Cash Express at 7431 E. Brainerd Road under the guise of applying for a loan. She was his girlfriend.

As Beam left the place, Glover stormed in and jumped over the counter with a gun.

Prosecutors showed a short clip of the Cash Express surveillance footage.

“You're going to die! You're going to die!” Glover screamed as the cashier screamed and cried.

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According to prosecutors, he put the store employee in a chokehold, pointed the gun at her and ordered her to open the safe so he could steal the money from the store.

Beam is scheduled to be sentenced in connection with the robbery on October 16.

Prosecutors justified the harsh sentence by citing Glover's alleged behavior after the crime. Beam cooperated with authorities after the couple was caught.

Glover allegedly sent Beam a text message in which he wanted to punish her for her statements against him, according to prosecutors. He allegedly threatened to kill her or make her use a wheelchair and need plastic surgery.

While in custody, Glover allegedly used a smuggled cell phone to post a photo of a rat in crosshairs as his Facebook cover photo.

He tried to intimidate Beam, prosecutors said.

Glover spent most of his childhood in state care after his mother was accused of abusing him and his siblings, he said. His father was not in the picture.

Still, he managed to exceed expectations, Glover said. He said statistics showed he would not have been able to live to the age of 21 and go to high school or college.

(READ MORE: Chattanooga man sentenced to 25 years in prison for aggravated robbery and involuntary manslaughter)

Glover said he succeeded in all three.

Glover gestured to a dozen family members sitting in the courtroom to show that there were people who loved him.

“This is one of the most horrific things I've ever experienced in my life,” Glover said. “I may be separated from my family forever.”

U.S. District Judge Curtis Collier said he was very disturbed that Glover was forced to emphasize five times during the entire sentencing hearing that he was not an animal. Collier hoped Glover had never been treated in that way.

It was profound that Glover was able to admit that through all his problems there was one constant – himself, Collier said.

“You are a unique person,” Collier said. “You are a human being.”

Contact Sofia Saric at [email protected] or 423-757-6476.