Miss FL Scholarship Program Director Stole $100K For Dating Sites, Maid Services: DOJ

MIAMI, FL — The Miss Florida Scholarship Program’s former executive director appeared in federal court in Miami on Tuesday to face an indictment charging her with defrauding corporate and individual program donors, according to a Department of Justice news release.

Investigators believe Mary Wickersham, 76, of Miami stole at least $100,000 in donations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said. She's been charged with seven counts of wire fraud and was arrested Tuesday morning after turning herself in to the Miami Federal Detention Center.

Among the program donors she’s accused of defrauding are the Children’s Miracle Network and the Everglades Foundation.

When Wickersham, who is also known as Mary Sullivan and Mary Harvey, served as executive director of the Miss Florida Scholarship Program, a not-for-profit organization that provides scholarships to young women through pageants, she performed her duties on a volunteer basis, the FDLE said. Through her role, she approached individuals urging them to make donations to the program.

FDLE began its investigation after receiving information from the Miss Florida Scholarship Program about missing funds.

In 2011, Wickersham formed a scam Florida corporation called Miss Florida LLC without telling the Miss Florida Scholarship Program’s Board of Directors, according to the FDLE.

She then used the scam corporation to open a bank account with Bank of America that only she could access. Wickersham began depositing some donations into the scam account, even altering some checks to do so, and used the funds for her personal benefit.

Wickersham used the money to pay for her personal expenses, including utilities, shopping, home goods, maid cleaning services, online dating fees and dining out, according to the DOJ.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service assisted FDLE agents with the investigation.