Beauty Queen Charged with Identity Theft

The notion of beauty queens typically conjures images of beautiful women aspiring to community service work and making the world a better place. Shaletta Porterfield, Miss Wisconsin USA, may shatter that perception. Identity theft charges against Miss Wisconsin have forced her to give back her crown to the state.

Identity Theft Does Not Pay

According to Porterfield’s attorney, charges against her include three counts of identity theft. During her employment at a marketing firm, accusations arose that Porterfield forged the signature of three different business owners on contracts that locked the businesses into placing ads with the firm. Porterfield’s attorney says she was under a great deal of stress to meet quotas. These actions are a federal offense if true.

Punishment

Porterfield has pled "not guilty" and will have her day in court over the summer. If the judge finds her guilty, she could face some hefty charges, including a fine of up to $100,000 or up to six years in prison. In addition to forfeiting her crown as Miss Wisconsin, Porterfield has also lost her opportunity to participate in the Miss USA pageant next month, a huge sacrifice for a beauty queen.

Bryant Park

Bryant Park is a financial consultant for one of the companies listed on Wall Street. He writes on a variety of topics ranging from credit cards to different loans that can be availed by consumers. He holds a bachelor degree in Financial Services from Dartmouth College.