Roanoke Woman Sentenced for Misusing Official Government Seal

ROANOKE, Va.,  – A Roanoke woman was sentenced this week to two years’ probation, the first 90 days of which must be spent on home detention, for creating a document misusing the official seal of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia.

According to court documents, Lisa Rachelle Spangler, 50, obtained new employment with Medi Home Health in 2020. As part of her employment, a background check was conducted on Spangler, which revealed Spangler was previously convicted of a federal crime in the Western District of Virginia, a fact she hid from her new employers.

Spangler was convicted in 2018 of making a false statement under oath in a federal court proceeding.

When Spangler was confronted about her conviction, she produced a document on letterhead from the Office of the Clerk with the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia.  The letter included the name of the current Clerk of Court and the seal for United States District Court.

The letter claimed that Lisa Rachelle Spangler was not involved in the case referred to in the background check. The letter was not legitimate, and had been fabricated by the defendant.

U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia  made the announcement.

The United States Secret Service investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlene R. Day prosecuted the case.