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Beauty Queen Sentenced to Prison After Shaving Head, Faking Cancer

Rachel StockmanJul 28th, 2016, 8:33 am
 

A Pennsylvania beauty queen who shaved her head, and faked cancer has been sentenced to state prison. Police said Brandi Weaver-Gates, 24, raised $30,000 through numerous fundraisers after pretending she needed help with her medical bills, according WJAC. It was all a scam. She never had cancer. According to an article in StateCollege.com, Weaver-Gates told people she was diagnosed in March of 2013 with Chronic Lymphoctic Leukemia. She told everybody she was undergoing chemotherapy treatments at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

When the allegations first came to light, pageant organizers with Miss Pennsylvania U.S. International revoked her crown and sash.


At one point, to fool people, BuzzFeed reported that she posted the following on social media about her “sickness”.

“I can’t believe it’s been a week already since I found out that I’m in remission again!!! From a sick/scary 4th, to celebrating remission, to having a sip for my one week mark! #kickitsbutt #KICKEDitsbutt #byebyecancer.”

Weaver-Gates was sentenced to two to four years in prison after pleading guilty. According to WJAC, she told a judge that she began the scheme because “she was looking for more attention from her family.”

[image via Pennsylvania State Police]

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Rachel Stockman is President of Law&Crime which includes Law&Crime Productions, Law&Crime Network and LawAndCrime.com. Under her watch, the company has grown from just a handful of people to a robust production company and network producing dozens of true crime shows a year in partnership with major networks. She also currently serves as Executive Producer of Court Cam, a hit show on A&E, and I Survived a Crime, a new crime show premiering on A&E this fall. She also oversees production of a new daily syndicated show Law&Crime Daily, which is produced in conjunction with Litton Entertainment. In addition to these shows, her network and production company produce programs for Facebook Watch, Cineflix and others. She has spent years covering courts and legal issues, and was named Atlanta Press Club's 'Rising Star' in 2014. Rachel graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and Yale Law School.

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