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The former executive director of the Miss Florida Scholarship Program has been arrested on federal charges after authorities said she spent years stealing donations totaling more than $100,000 from the program that she spent on shopping, maid cleaning services and online dating fees.
Mary Wickersham, 76, turned herself in Tuesday morning to the Miami Federal Detention Center to face seven counts of wire fraud, Florida Department of Law Enforcement officials said.
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Authorities said Wickersham, also known as Mary Sullivan and Mary Harvey, worked as executive director for the scholarship program on a volunteer basis.
The Miss Florida Scholarship Program is a not-for-profit organization that raises money to provide scholarships to young women through pageants.
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Investigators said that in December 2011, Wickersham formed a scam Florida corporation named Miss Florida LLC without the knowledge of the Miss Florida Scholarship Program Board of Directors, then used the scam corporation to open a bank account that only she could access.
Through her role with the scholarship program, Wickersham approached people and urged them to make donations, then began depositing some donations into the scam account, authorities said.
Individual program donors, including the Children’s Miracle Network and the Everglades Foundation, were defrauded by Wickersham, authorities said.
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Wickersham added the words "Miss Florida Pageant" on donation checks made payable to Children’s Miracle Network allowing her to deposit funds into the scam account, authorities said.
Investigators believe Wickersham stole at least $100,000 in donations, which she then spent on personal expenses including utilities, shopping, home goods, maid cleaning service, online dating fees, and dining out.
The FDLE said they started investigating the case after receiving information from the scholarship program about missing funds.
"Ms. Wickersham not only stole charitable donations from the Scholarship Program, but also from two local charitable organizations and a local business affiliated with Miss Florida," FDLE Miami Special Agent in Charge Troy Walker said in a statement. "Agents believe the scam occurred over several years. I appreciate the detailed work of our FDLE agents on this case and the assistance of the US Postal Inspection Service and US Attorney’s Office."
