A US beauty pageant victor who said she battled cancer reportedly lied, and is now behind bars and facing felony charges.
Advertisement
We were also led to believe that she was dealing with this awful disease and stood by her as she struggled being a beauty queen and a cancer patient. She is being held on a $150,000 bond.
Records don’t list an attorney for Weaver-Gates who faces a preliminary hearing August 19. “Bingo for Brandi” raised more than $14-thousand.
Police arrested Brandi Lee Weaver-Gates, 23, of Bellefonte, Centre County, Tuesday and charged her with theft by deception and receiving stolen property.
An anonymous letter to police tipped them off to the scheme.
“There were some inconsistency such as Miss Gates’ hair was always there and never falling out”.
Weaver-Gates would tell people she was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, investigators and court documents said.
“Effective immediately, Ms. Weaver-Gates is no longer a representative of the Miss Pennsylvania U.S. worldwide organization and will be required to return her crown and sash upon her release from being detained”.
Ms Weaver-Gates allegedly had relatives driver her to John Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, would tell them to wait in the lobby, and then walk to another part of the hospital, returning hours later to give the impression she had undergone treatment. “She didn’t know the name of her doctors, and other things like that.” he said.
Advertisement
Another alleged that her pictures of her treatment had been removed from her profile page. Troopers are asking the public to come forward if they have donated money to Weaver-Gates.
