A Pennsylvania beauty queen is facing serious charges after being arrested for allegedly faking that she had cancer as part of plan to scam donors out of thousands of dollars, according to police.
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Brandi Lee Weaver-Gates had her title of Miss Pennsylvania U.S. global 2015 yanked after her arrest Tuesday on charges of theft by deception and receiving stolen property. Authorities were tipped off to the alleged scheme by an anonymous letter saying that Weaver-Gates was unable to name any of the doctors supposedly treating her for cancer. It is unclear whether she duped her own family or if they were in on the scam. Although she was never diagnosed with leukemia, she shaved her head several times to convince people that she was a cancer patient. Over the course of two years, Weaver-Gates tricked her family and friends by shaving her head and asking to be driven to a hospital in Baltimore to receive treatment. Peters held a dance for Weaver-Gates. Last April, she received $14,000 from a single fundraiser. “It was very delicate at first”, said State Police investigator Thomas Stock. The hospitals where she claimed to have been treated also informed police that they had no record of her ever being treated there.
One thing’s for sure – Weaver-Gates may not have cancer, but she’s definitely “sick”. “Miss Weaver-Gates actions are not tolerated and unacceptable not just as a public figure but as a person”, the statement read.
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“Effectively immediately, Ms. Weaver-Gates is no longer a representative of Miss Pennsylvania U.S. worldwide organization and will be required to return her crown and sash upon her release from being detained”. She is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on August. 19th.
