Sentencing for woman behind alleged fundraising fraud pushed back again

A Flathead County District Court judge has again pushed back the sentencing of a woman accused of defrauding donors with a fake cancer diagnosis, this time at the request of prosecutors.

Amy Elizabeth Glanville, 47, of Kalispell was expected to receive her sentence for felony theft Dec. 15. She pleaded guilty to the charge by way of an Alford plea in August after reaching a deal with prosecutors.

In an Alford plea, the defendant maintains their innocence while acknowledging the likelihood of a jury returning with a guilty verdict.

Earlier this month, though, Judge Heidi Ulbricht continued the sentencing after learning prosecutors had not notified all of the victims in the case about negotiations regarding restitution. According to court documents, Glanville bilked donors out of as much as $60,000 between 2016 and 2020, raising money in part through GoFundMe to help with treatment for a fictional cancer diagnosis.

Ulbricht rescheduled the sentencing, asking that prosecutors reach out to all those caught up in the alleged scheme.

“I really strongly believe they need to be given an opportunity to participate,” she said at the time, setting a new sentencing date for Dec. 22.

But in a motion filed in district court Dec. 19, Deputy County Attorney Andrew Clegg asked for a further delay to take into account witness requests and scheduling conflicts. Several have since asked to speak at her sentencing, Clegg wrote, but could not make the Dec. 22 date. Additionally, Glanville’s attorney, Lane Bennett, had travel plans between Dec. 26 and Jan. 4.

Clegg also noted the court date might run on the long side.

“Finally, it is expected the hearing will be longer than a typical sentencing hearing and the state requests one to two hours if the court can accommodate,” he wrote.

Ulbricht acceded to Clegg’s request a day later and ordered sentencing continued to Jan. 13.

Prosecutors are expected to recommend she receive a deferred three-year sentence for the felony, continue mental health counseling, serve 75 hours of community service and pay restitution. Authorities began investigating Glanville after leaders at Easthaven Baptist Church grew suspicious of her claims, court documents said.

Confronted, Glanville allegedly admitted to making up the cancer diagnosis. As part of the scheme, she had friends and family take her to phony medical appointments and used several mobile phones to pose as medical providers, court documents said.

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.