Kalispell woman charged in alleged cancer fraud scheme

A Flathead Valley woman accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from donors in an alleged cancer fraud scheme has been charged in Flathead County District Court.

Amy Elizabeth Glanville, 46, of Kalispell, is charged with one felony count of theft. She faces a maximum of 10 years in the Montana State Prison.

A warrant has been issued for her arrest, but Glanville, whose last known address was 125 Moes Run, was not in custody as of Friday night.

Court documents allege during the time that Glanville represented she was ill, people donated through GoFundMe, PayPal, local fundraisers at places such as Buffalo Wild Wings, and several fundraisers at Easthaven Baptist Church.

The total amounts donated to Glanville were about $60,000.

According to the charging document, the case began when Whitefish Police Department Detective Tim Schuch was contacted on Jan. 16, 2020, by a person who worked for Rocky Mountain Heart and Lung Center.

The woman told the detective she became suspicious after seeing a story on a social media site that had concerning medical statements that were inconsistent with her medical expertise.

The employee said she was aware there had been extensive fundraising for Glanville, who reportedly had cancer. The employee said she was concerned that some of the information being provided on Facebook did not match and that Glanville may have been extorting people and charitable organizations for money.

The investigation was turned over to the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and Detective Commander Josh Buls began talking to witnesses. He learned that in 2016 Glanville allegedly reported she had thyroid cancer and was seeking treatment at the University of Washington Medical Center.

Based on the diagnosis, several fundraisers were conducted through Easthaven Baptist Church and other charitable organizations throughout the Flathead Valley.

Easthaven Baptist Church Pastor Daniel Lambert and his wife, Vicky, became close to Glanville and were awarded co-guardianship of Glanville’s three children.

FROM 2016 through 2020, Glanville allegedly continued to represent that she was ill, going so far as to have friends and family take her to medical appointments around the United States, according to the charging document.

Additionally, Daniel Lambert had communication, via text, with several of Glanville’s medical providers, who would provide him updates on her cancer and other medical ailments. In October, 2020, Lambert became suspicious of Glanville after she said a home health nurse was coming to her house. Lambert parked down the street and saw that no one actually showed up at her residence, contrary to Glanville’s representations, according to court documents.

After that occurrence, Lambert called around to Glanville’s different medical providers and learned that she was not actually a patient with those providers. Lambert confronted Glanville and she confessed that the entire story was false, she was never diagnosed with cancer, and when her friends and family would transport her to medical appointments, she would just sit inside the hospital.

Glanville also allegedly admitted to having several phones from which she would text Lambert, portraying to be her medical providers in the United States. Glanville also allegedly later confessed to several friends and family members that she was never in fact ill.

According to a previous Daily Inter Lake article, one of Glanville’s family members, Paul Ernst, a California resident, was caught up in the ruse after he set up a gofundme.com account to help her gain money for expenses related to her medical condition.