A Beauty queen was required to return her crown after authorities accused her of faking having a leukemia just to raise money.
Brandi Lee Weaver-Gates, Miss Pennsylvania U.S. International, was under investigation for accusation of theft by deception and receiving stolen property, Fox News reports.
The 23 year crowned beauty queen deceived many people by making them believed that she was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in March 2013.
According to CNN, since then the beauty queen has been using her so called disease to raise money for her supposed to be treatment. State police says her recent fundraising was in April and raised $14,000.
The investigation started when Pennsylvania State Police received a letter, informing them that Weaver- Gates is faking her cancer. During the investigation, police found no evidence that she has undergone to any cancer treatment.
State Police Trooper Thomas Stock said her action was "an elaborate scheme."
According to Stock, Weaver- Gates relatives drive her to Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, where she made people believe that she is receiving a treatment. While they patiently wait for how many hours in the lobby, Brandi is just in another part of the hospital.
"When confronted with what the investigation revealed, the accused advised that she did not want to incriminate herself and invoked her right to an attorney," according to the authorities.
Weaver- Gates was charged with felony counts of theft by deception and receiving stolen property and held at the Centre County Correctional Facility.
The pageant is taking the necessary action against Weaver- Gates and stripping off her title.
"When you deceive the public and take people's money that is under the pretense of fraud, we will not tolerate those actions," the statement read. "Our hearts go out to those affected by cancer and to those who were taken advantage of by Miss Weaver-Gates."
She is due to appear in court on Aug.19.
