Vause Asks Appeals Court to Reconsider Sentence
The former girlfriend of Raymond Moody seeks relief from an 18-year sentence for lying to the FBI during the Brittanee Drexel investigation.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Sex Crimes
Angel Vause asked the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider her 18-year prison sentence, arguing her conviction and enhanced punishment were improper. Prosecutors asked the court to deny the request, and the appellate court has not yet ruled.
Why it matters
The appeal turns on whether the U.S. Supreme Court's June decision in Hunter v. United States allows a defendant to challenge a sentence despite a guilty plea without an appeal waiver. The outcome could affect how sentences tied to lying-to-investigators charges are reviewed in cases involving sex-related crimes.
Vause pleaded guilty to three counts of lying to the FBI and was sentenced to 18 years with three years of supervised release, and her attorney's November 4 brief seeks reconsideration. The Fourth Circuit has not issued a ruling, and Judge Paul V. Niemeyer presided over oral arguments on October 29.
The players
Angel Vause
Vause is the former girlfriend of Raymond Moody, and she is 58 years old.
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals is the federal appellate court reviewing Vause's appeal.
Paul V. Niemeyer
Paul V. Niemeyer is a U.S. Appeals Court judge who presided over oral arguments in the case.
The details
Vause, the former girlfriend of Raymond Moody, was convicted of lying to federal investigators during the probe into the 2009 abduction, rape, and killing of 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel, whose case Moody was convicted of. Her appeal argues that her conviction violated double jeopardy protections and that her punishment was enhanced without sufficient evidence, while prosecutors contend the eight-year penalty provision for sex-related crimes properly applies.
Timeline
2009: Brittanee Drexel disappeared and was later murdered.
March 2026: Vause appealed her conviction.
June 2026: The U.S. Supreme Court issued its 8-1 Hunter v. United States ruling.
October 29, 2026: Oral arguments were held before Judge Paul V. Niemeyer.
November 4, 2026: Vause's attorney filed a brief asking the court to reconsider.
Legal Context
Vause's appeal tests how the U.S. Supreme Court's June 2026 Hunter v. United States decision applies to plea bargains that lack enforceable appeal waivers. The case also raises the question of how the eight-year penalty provision for sex-related crimes is applied to lying-to-FBI counts.
Defendants facing plea deals that include lying-to-investigators counts may need to evaluate whether their appeal rights survive a guilty plea under the Hunter standard. Court watchers and families in sex-crime cases can track the Fourth Circuit's ruling once it is issued.
The takeaway
Plea agreements that do not expressly waive appeal rights may still allow sentencing challenges under the Supreme Court's Hunter ruling. The Fourth Circuit's decision will show how far that protection extends.
Further reading
For related coverage of legal proceedings, see the Sex Crimes section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Post and Courier.
