Mary Wickersham, former executive director of Miss Florida Scholarship Program, indicted on fraud charges

For yrs, Wickersham was the executive director of the nonprofit corporation, an annual natural beauty pageant that awards fiscal support to contributors and winners to progress their education and learning. But from December 2011 to June 2018, she stole about $100,000 from the business, according to prosecutors.

Mary Wickersham, who also goes by the names Mary Sullivan and Mary Harvey, has given that been indicted on seven charges involving defrauding the business and its person donors by opening a individual organization under a similar identify to divert donations and contributions intended for the Pass up Florida Scholarship Software.

All those resources, federal prosecutors said in a legal complaint unsealed this 7 days in the Southern District of Florida, never built it to the organization’s bank account but as a substitute funded Wickersham’s way of life.

“Ms. Wickersham not only stole charitable donations from the Scholarship Plan, but also from two nearby charitable corporations and a community business affiliated with Miss out on Florida,” Florida Division of Legislation Enforcement special agent Troy Walker claimed in a information launch. “Agents think the fraud transpired about various years.”

Adam Goble Franzen, an legal professional symbolizing Wickersham, did not instantly answer to messages from The Washington Put up late Wednesday. Wickersham could not straight away be attained for comment.

The Miss out on Florida Scholarship Plan claimed in a assertion that Wickersham resigned in July 2018.

Prosecutors claimed Wickersham — who experienced access to the pageant program’s monetary information and facts, as perfectly as its sponsors and donors — in December 2011 designed a firm named Miss Florida LLC, which she then utilised to open up a business account at a bank.

Wickersham, who life in Miami-Dade County, intercepted donations for the Overlook Florida Scholarship Software and altered the revenue orders or checks so she could deposit them into her “Miss Florida” account, prosecutors stated. The income was applied to include her life-style expenditures, in accordance to court docket documents.

On Tuesday, Wickersham was arrested and designed her to start with visual appeal in Miami federal court docket. A judge set her bond at $100,000. If located responsible of all rates, she could face up to 20 yrs in prison.

She is scheduled to appear again in court docket on Monday at 10 a.m., courtroom data clearly show.