Roanoke Business Owner Sentenced
Roland “Spanky” Macher Will Spend 30 Months in Federal Prison; Previously Admitted to Bankruptcy Fraud, Food Stamp Fraud, Tax Evasion

ROANOKE, VA—The former owner of several regional restaurants and other local businesses was sentenced this morning in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke to a variety of fraud charges.

Roland “Spanky” Macher, of Roanoke, previously pled guilty to one count of bankruptcy fraud, one count of willfully evading his taxes, and one count of food stamp fraud. This morning in U.S. District Court, he was sentenced to 30 months of federal incarceration.

“Spanky Macher’s lies have justly landed him in federal prison,” United States Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy said today. “For years, Mr. Macher deceived the bankruptcy court, his creditors, and the Internal Revenue Service by misrepresenting his assets and financial condition. This matter demonstrates our commitment to enforce the integrity of the bankruptcy process, and to hold individuals accountable for unlawful failure to pay their fair share of federal tax.”

In the factual basis filed during the entry of his guilty plea, Macher admitted that he misrepresented and concealed material facts both in documents and in testimony regarding his Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which was filed in November of 2000 and discharged in August of 2005. Specifically, the defendant failed to get approve or disclose the fact that on September 23, 2002 he deeded three rental properties he owned, generating over $135,000 in proceeds. Macher also admitted that he failed to get approval or disclose that in June 2002 he bought two condominiums in Woodlake Village in Hilton Head Island.

According to the factual basis, on July 27, 2009 he submitted an application for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) with the Roanoke Department of Social Services. He requested benefits for himself and his three children, ages 20, 18 and 14, claiming all three children were members of his household. Macher failed to disclose that his two older children were attending an out-of-town college. He also reported his monthly income to be $1,000, but failed to disclose his association with Macher Properties or disclose the existence of several bank accounts used to pay his personal expenses.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Roanoke Department of Social Services. Assistant United States Attorney C. Patrick Hogeboom III and Francine Davis of the Tax Division of the Department of Justice are prosecuting the case for the United States.