Beauty queen jailed for faking cancer to benefit from fundraisers

Portia Arthur

August 13, 2015 11:57 AM

Brandi Lee Weaver-Gates was arraigned Tuesday on charges of theft by deception and receiving stolen property

former Miss Pennsylvania US International pageant winner, Brandi Lee Weaver-Gates

A former Miss Pennsylvania US International pageant winner, Brandi Lee Weaver-Gates, has been jailed and will be stripped of her title on charges that she faked having leukemia to benefit from fundraisers.

Weaver-Gates led everyone to believe she had been diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in March 2013.

Police say fundraisers were held to help her with her medical bills. The most recent fundraiser, was held in April, which raised $14,000.

She told the Centre Daily Times in April of 2014 at the Relay for Life at Penn State, that she became cancer-free in October of 2013, but later in the year she got news that 5% of the cancer cells were back.State police say there is no evidence that Weaver-Gates ever had treatment for cancer.Pageant organizers issued the following statement on Wednesday morning:

“We at Butler’s Beauties are saddened to hear of the news of Miss Brandy Weaver-Gates. We were also led to believe that she was dealing with this horrible disease and stood by her as she struggled being a beauty queen and a cancer patient.

Butler’s Beauties believes that with a crown and sash you can accomplish many great things as a role model, spokesmodel and community leader as a beauty pageant queen. When you deceive the public and take people’s money that is under the pretense of fraud, we will not tolerate those actions. Our hearts go out to those affected by cancer and to those who were taken advantage of by Miss Weaver-Gates.

Effectively immediately, Ms. Weaver-Gates is no longer a representative of the Miss Pennsylvania U.S. International organization and will be required to return her crown and sash upon her release from being detained.”

Portia Arthur