CHRISSY MURPHY
DENVER, N.C. — A U.S. deputy marshal assigned to the Western District of North Carolina has been charged with stealing from Walmart on five separate occasions.
Robert Spangler, 47, of Denver has been charged with five counts of misdemeanor larceny, according to an arrest report from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
The arrest report identified Spangler as an employee of the U.S. Marshals Service.
A news release from the marshals in October 2021 identified him as a deputy marshal in the Western District, which covers the western third of the state from Cherokee County to Union County.
The criminal summonses issued against him say on five occasions from July 16 to Aug. 24, various items were taken from the Walmart on N.C. 73 in Denver.
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The items included:
- Three bottles of wine
- Mountain Dew
- A weed trimmer
- Paper towels
- A three pack of chicken
- A four pack of ribs
- A power strip
- A circular saw
- A cord reel
- A trash can
- An eight-piece chicken plate
- Tide Pods, twice
- Curtain lights
- Yogurt
- Coffee creamer
The items stolen have a total value of about $556, according to the summonses.
WSOCTV learned Walmart employees recognized Spangler because he would go out of his way to tell them he worked for the Marshals Service, according to police reports the station obtained. Reports indicated Spangler paid for some items in the self checkout but not for others.
The News Herald requested Spangler’s employment records from the Marshals Service. The records weren’t available Friday afternoon, but a representative for the agency said they were working on the request and hoped to have information available Monday.
Before working for the Marshals Service, Spangler worked at the Morganton Department of Public Safety from 2001 to 2009, according to the city. He resigned from the department March 2, 2009. Employment records available to the public did not indicate the reason for his resignation.
Spangler, who was released on a written promise to appear for the larceny charges, was set to appear in court Friday. It’s not clear when he’s due back in court.
