Former Miss USA Pageant Winner Charged with Identity Theft

A Madison, Wisconsin, woman who currently holds the state’s Miss USA title, was recently indicted for identity theft.

Shaletta Porterfield, 26, is accused of misappropriating identity information to obtain money, according to WISC-TV. She entered a not guilty plea.

Authorities allege while working for a marketing company, Porterfield forged fake contracts in order to make her sales look better, the news source reported. The crime was reported to police after one of the business owners was billed for an advertisement he did not authorize.

“It’s surprising and disappointing that anyone would do this, but certainly when you carry that title (of Miss Wisconsin USA), there’s a lot that goes along with it,” Lt. Joseph Peterson, of the Waunakee Police Department, told the news source.

Robert Nagel, Porterfield’s attorney, said that his client most likely did not make any money off of the alleged identity theft and that charges should be straightened out later on this year, the news source reported.

Porterfield was scheduled to compete for the title of Miss USA in June but relinquished her Miss Wisconsin title last week.

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