Skip to main content

Ex-Miss Florida Pageant Director Goes To Prison For Fraud

 



MIAMI – The former executive director of the Miss Florida pageant has been sentenced to more than a year in federal prison for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the organization.

Mary Wickersham, 77, was sentenced last Friday in Miami federal court, according to court records. Earlier this year, she pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, while six other counts were dropped. In addition to prison time, Wickersham, who is also known as Mary Sullivan, must pay $243,000 in restitution.

Wickersham began serving as the executive director of the Miss Florida Scholarship Program in 2002. The program offers educational and financial assistance to young women across the state, and each year the state winner goes on to compete in the Miss America pageant, which Florida has won twice.

According to a criminal complaint, Wickersham formed a Florida corporation named Miss Florida LLC in 2011 and used it to open a bank account in the same name. Without the knowledge or consent of the Miss Florida Scholarship Program, prosecutors said Wickersham redirected money to the Miss Florida LLC bank account, which she controlled.

Wickersham used her position to solicit donations from the program’s recurring business sponsors and donors, claiming the money would be used to fund scholarships for the contestants. Investigators said Wickersham actually used the money for her own personal use and gain.

She left the position in 2018, after which new leadership began to discover financial irregularities. An investigation followed, and Wickersham was eventually arrested last year.

Source: https://www.local10.com/news/local/2023/05/04/ex-miss-florida-pageant-director-goes-to-prison-for-fraud/

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Trans-Identified Male Crowned “Miss Greater Derry 2023,” Takes Home Women’s Scholarship

A local beauty pageant is attracting ample mockery on social media after a trans-identified male was crowned the winner of the competition and awarded a scholarship intended for young women. Brían Nguyen , 19, was awarded the crown in the Miss Greater Derry pageant, held on November 8 in the Greater Derry area of New Hampshire. The competition is a locally-run event under the national Miss America series of pageants. In addition to winning the crown, Nguyen will receive the  Miss Greater Derry Scholarship , a financial award established to support young women. Nguyen, who is male, is a freshman at Nashua Community College majoring in Business Management. After his win, Nguyen wrote on  Facebook : “ I am ecstatic to be the FIRST transgender woman to be a Miss America local titleholder, and I hope to make everyone proud and become the first to walk the Miss America stage. I am Brían Nguyen, your Miss Greater Derry 2023 .” Nguyen had previously announced on Instagram that he has intention

Miss America CEO & Others Resign Amid Scandal Over Offensive Emails – Update

2nd UPDATE, 12:03 PM:  Miss America Organization  CEO  Sam Haskell  resigned his post today amid an investigation into offensive emails he sent about a pageant winner. In a statement He has resigned along with president and COO Josh Randle and Lynn Weidner, the board chair who sent emails involved in the controversy. Related Two More Ex-Fox News Employees Join Defamation Suit Against Bill O'Reilly - Update According to a Twitter post from Dan Meyers, who is taking over as interim chairman, Weidner will remain on the board during a transition period: View image on Twitter Miss America Org ✔ @MissAmericaOrg Update from the Board of Directors... 3:01 PM - Dec 23, 2017   35 35 Replies     144 144 Retweets     291 291 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy UPDATED, 5:30 PM:  The Miss America Organization suspended its chief executive today, less than 24 hours after emails surfaced in which he disparaged the

Lindsay Becker Crowned Miss Global USA 2024

Lindsay Becker , 32, of Florida was crowned Miss Global USA 2024 at the national pageant in Orlando, Florida on Sunday, July 30. Lindsay competed alongside other women from across the country for the chance to represent the USA on the world’s stage at the Miss Global 2024 pageant. In addition to winning the national title, she won the Swimwear, Photogenic and Amazing in Black competitions. Lindsay graduated from the University of Southern California in 2013 as a university and departmental honors scholar with a degrees in Broadcast Journalism and Digital Media as well as Cinematic Arts and Television. She is professionally trained in cinematic makeup design with her work featured in professional look books in the epicenter of film production, Hollywood, California. Her education and passion for cinematic makeup design inspired her to start her own business venture, Lindsay B Pageantry and Artistry, where she works as a hair and makeup artist for pageantry and special events as well as