Despite being incarcerated, former beauty queen Brandi Weaver-Gates now feels free, she says, after asking for forgiveness for faking cancer and receiving money through cancer fundraising, and promising to pay the money back.
Weaver-Gates made her first statement since she was charged last week. The statement came through her lawyer:
“Although Brandi’s incarcerated, she feels free,” said Deb Lux, Weaver-Gates’ public defender.
“She’s liberated from the lies she’s been living. She’s truly sorry. She asks for forgiveness, although she understands many won’t find it in their hearts to do so.”
The 23-year-old former Miss Pennsylvania is currently locked up at the Center County Correctional Facility in leuo of $150,000 bail.
Weaver-Gates recently waved her right to a hearing and intends to continue to cooperate with the legal process underway, according to her lawyer.
Weaver-Gates has promised to pay back all the money she received, the amount of which is currently unknown. One of the four large local fundraisers from which she received funds raised approximately $14,000.
Weaver-Gates’ misdeeds date back to 2013, when she first stated that she had been diagnosed with leukemia. However, when an anonymous tip was received by Pennsylvania state police that the woman could not name any of her doctors, an investigation began.
During the time Weaver-Gates was faking leukemia, she shaved her head twice and made several trips to the hospital with her family. Her family would wait in the reception area while Weaver-Gates would go to another area of the hospital for hours. However, during the police investigation it was found that Weaver-Gates was not listed as a patient in either of the hospitals she visited.
After police checked with hospital staff, Weaver-Gates was arrested for felony counts of theft by deception and receiving stolen property.
By Andy Stern