Clover gang member gets 20 years prison for gun, drug charges

A Clover gang member was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison Thursday after pleading guilty to drug and gun charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Joseph Matthew Polk, 24, pleaded guilty in August to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Haynes. U.S. District Judge Joseph Anderson Jr. sentenced Polk to 20 years in prison.

Evidence showed that Polk, on March 19, 2015, sold a quantity of marijuana to a confidential informant while armed with a .32-caliber revolver, Haynes said. The following day, Polk, this time armed with a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun, sold a quantity of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. On March 24, Polk, again armed with the 9mm gun, sold meth to a confidential informant.

On March 24, a young child was seen in the same room where the distribution occurred and while Polk waved the handgun around, Haynes said. Each of the three distributions was recorded on audio and video by local law enforcement.

Officers arrested Polk on state charges on April 9, and during that arrest they recovered the 9mm handgun, gang paraphernalia and “a residue amount” of methamphetamine, Haynes said. Polk waived his rights and admitted to possessing the guns and being a “dues collector” for a local gang.

Polk admitted at the time of his arrest, and when pleading guilty, that he is a member of the Satan’s Disciples gang that has ties around the country and is known for street and prison violence.

Because of a prior federal conviction for possession of a firearm by a felon and previous state convictions for second-degree burglary and grand larceny, Polk is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

Polk was on federal supervised release from a 2014 federal conviction for felon in possession of a firearm at the time of the March offenses, prosecutors said. After revoking Polk’s prior term of federal supervised release, the judge sentenced him to an additional 10 months imprisonment, which will be served consecutively to the 20 years. After prison, Polk will be on federal supervision for five years.

In 2012, Polk was accused of lying to police about a fatal shooting in Clover, but both Polk and another man charged with murder had their charges dropped after York County prosecutors ruled the shooting was self-defense. The other man is serving a 10-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to a weapons charge in federal court.

This story was originally published January 15, 2016 at 6:48 AM with the headline "Clover gang member gets 20 years prison for gun, drug charges."