Woman convicted of using false cancer diagnosis to scam donors

On Friday, people Amy Glanville scammed for years said the fake cancer diagnosis she used to get tens of thousands of dollars in donations destroyed the local church, damaged their relationship and shook their faith.

Mary Woodward testified in the Flathead County District Court, saying, “I believe in spiritual redemption; I believe with all my heart that you can be restored.” “But [change of heart] is necessary. You have to give up life. Because only God can do everything from the inside out.”

Following testimony on January 13, Judge Heidi Ulbricht sentenced 47-year-old Glanville to a four-year suspended sentence with the state Department of Corrections, counting her for one day of her sentence. In August, Glanville filed a plea to Alford for Alford’s single count of theft after negotiations with prosecutors.

In Alford’s statement, Glanville maintains her innocence while acknowledging that the jury is likely to convict her.

According to court records, the alleged Glanville scam began around 2016 and continued until 2020, when it was approached by concerned leaders of the Easthaven Baptist Church.

During this period, she benefited from online fundraising as well as fundraising initiatives by the Baptist Church and other charities in the region, according to court records. Glanville allegedly used many phones to pose as medical professionals to corroborate her story and had supporters take her on bogus medical visits.

Although the victims testified in court that they gave significantly more than the $60,000 that the prosecution estimated as the total amount raised for Glanville.

In a statement read aloud in court, Allison Rennie pleaded with the audience, “When you look at the charge and read the amount, I’m asking you to see the people instead.”

Rennie claimed that Glanville also deceived his victims, depriving them of time, trust, faith and hope. She diverted funds from local cancer patients.

Rennie remarked, “I will never fully regain my faith in people.”

In addition to money, the victims said they drove her, looked after her children, and provided her with emotional and spiritual support.

Luke Fitzwater remarked about his children: “They prayed for you every night for five years to get well.

Fitzwater testified from Texas via Zoom. He claimed that the family was forced to leave Kalispell as a result of the exposure of the alleged Glanville plot and the ramifications that flowed from it.

Fitzwater said it also shook his faith and made him and others in the congregation feel spiritually drained. He claimed that despite returning to church services, he was still unable to worship.

He worried loudly that the seeds of doubt had been sown, saying, “A great gaping void has been left for both adults and children.”

Woodward also discussed the implications in her testimony. According to her, those who were later considered incapable of giving enough grace to Glanville were shunned by their church family. According to Woodward, then there was conflict and hostility.

“You promised me, ‘I’ll do whatever it takes to do the right thing,'” Woodward said. “I was sincere when I said that I forgave you that day. But for the past 26 months, I’ve struggled with cynicism and heartache.”

The defendant’s desk was occupied throughout Friday’s hearing, and GLANVILLE never glanced back at the nearly full seats behind her. Curls of her black hair formed a veil over her face. From time to time she rocked back and forth, as witnesses testified, in a winter coat of black and white with snowflakes.

When she had the opportunity to address the court, she answered in a trembling voice: “I understand and accept what everyone has said.” “I’m really sorry about this whole story.”

She described the time leading up to the alleged scam as a difficult moment for her and expressed her wish that her former supporters could “move on and find joy in their lives again”.

Her lawyer, Lane Bennet, drew attention to this issue. Despite the fact that neither he nor any of the defense witnesses made a diagnosis in open court, he did mention that she was under “intense” psychiatric treatment.

Debbie Rae, a defense witness and mother of one of the victims named in the court papers, cited trauma Glanville had previously endured.

Ray told the court that Glanville was a beautiful person who loved Jesus and expressed gratitude that Glanville was not terminally ill.

Ray remarked, “She has a mental illness.

Daniel Lambert, who retired as pastor of Easthaven Baptist Church last year, sent a letter of support, which Bennett also read in part. According to the letter, Lambert thought that “something snapped in her, resulting in a significant reality tear” for Glanville.

We intend to respond to this mysterious circumstance with kindness and forgiveness,” he wrote.

Bennett and Deputy District Attorney Andrew Clegg concluded that Ulbricht was sentenced to a suspended sentence, three years with mandatory mental health counseling, and 75 hours of community service. They offered a maximum of $30,000 for restitution.

Many of the victims questioned the proposed sentence and demanded a harsher punishment.

However, Bennet told the court that Glanville’s parents were willing to pay the required amount in advance. He warned that if the $30,000 ceiling was removed, they would withdraw the offer. Bennett’s warning was echoed by Clegg, who expressed concern to the court that if reparations were increased, the victims would receive nothing. He claimed that Glanville had been declared legally incompetent by the authorities.

In addition, Clegg explained his justification for accepting the plea agreement by stating that Glanville’s offense “comes down to … a crime against property”.

Clegg stated that Glanville was a non-violent crime and that it was the first time the theft had been committed.

Clegg acknowledged that the victims did not agree with his point of view, but expressed gratitude for their position and openness with him.

He stated: “As a court, there is nothing we can do to fix what she did.

Ulbricht took a tougher stance on Glanville after hearing from two lawyers, lifting the restitution restriction, among other things.

The judge will sentence Glanville to four years of probation, despite the fact that this is his first violation, she said. “Amy Glanville deserves to have this on her permanent record and not get fired after three years.”

This did not satisfy the requests of the victims. Many demanded jail time, further community service, or a stay in a psychiatric facility by court order.

Woodward requested a sign of remorse. She claimed that Glanville was once again a victim.

She accused her of continuing to try to mislead the public by using Glanville’s statement about Alford as an illustration of her evasive behavior. “I don’t think you’re going to change,” she said.

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