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This year's Miss Pennsylvania U.S. International pageant winner is accused of lying about battling cancer and now faces felony charges, WJAC reported.
Police arrested Brandi Lee Weaver-Gates, 23, of Bellefonte, Centre County, Tuesday and charged her with theft by deception and receiving stolen property.
Investigators told WJAC that Weaver-Gates took money from events that raised funds on her behalf to help her pay for medical bills associated with her cancer battle.
Weaver-Gates would tell people she was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, investigators and court documents said.
State Police Trooper Thomas Stock told WJAC that she didn't have the disease, calling her efforts to make people believe she had cancer "an elaborate scheme." He said Weaver-Gates would have relatives drive her to John Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, tell them to wait in the lobby and then go into another part of the hospital to return hours later as to appear as though she got treatment.
Stock told WJAC she would tell people she was also a patient at Geisinger Medical Center and UPMC Medical Centers. He said none of the facilities listed her as a patient.
Additionally, Stock said Weaver-Gates would shave her head.
Several fundraisers were held to help her with medical bills. Police told WJAC that the most recent event was held in April raised $14,000.
Stock told WJAC that Weaver-Gates' scheme came to their attention via an anonymous letter that claimed she couldn't name any of her doctors.
Weaver-Gates was booked into the Centre County prison Tuesday afternoon.
