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Thursday, November 12, 2026Nov 12

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Hamilton County judge reviews evidence in confidential informant case

Staff Photo by Matt Hamilton / Judge Barry A. Steelman speaks in 2022 during a sentencing hearing in Hamilton County Criminal Court. Steelman is presiding over a drug case against Wendell Glass involving a confidential informant.
Staff Photo by Matt Hamilton / Judge Barry A. Steelman speaks in 2022 during a sentencing hearing in Hamilton County Criminal Court. Steelman is presiding over a drug case against Wendell Glass involving a confidential informant. Staff Photo by Matt Hamilton / Judge Barry A. Steelman speaks in 2022 during a sentencing hearing in Hamilton County Criminal Court. Steelman is presiding over a drug case against Wendell Glass involving a confidential informant.

A Hamilton County judge reviewed evidence in connection with a man’s felony drug possession charge and determined there were records of a confidential informant making drug buys. That finding came after months of questions surrounding the case’s validity.

Wendell Glass, 50, was charged with one count of unlawful possession of cocaine for resale after the Chattanooga Police Department recovered drugs from his bedroom during a 2021 warranted search of his home.

Judge Barry Steelman said Wednesday the name of the informant used in Glass’ case, the dates of the purchases and the amount of the drugs were not provided to him, but prosecutors have a duty they are well aware of to review it themselves.

“I take it that they have,” Steelman said.

Chattanooga Officer Kenneth Scriven obtained the warrant for Glass’ home based on information from an informant who made two supervised drug buys from Glass.