Shaletta Porterfield, Miss Wisconsin USA, Resigns After Identity Theft Accusations

Update: We received the following statement from Bernadette Holder of Quantum PR, on behalf of Porterfield:

Shaletta Porterfield relinquished the Miss Wisconsin USA crown, to avoid any possible embarrassment to the USA Pageant, Friday, May 13th. Miss Porterfield was charged in Dane County, Wisconsin, with three counts of misappropriating identity and has entered a "not guilty" plea. "I pray, and truly believe, that these allegations will be cleared up soon. In the meantime, I will continue to give back to the communities I love, in The greater Madison area, through various charities and community service efforts." “I would also like to take the time and thank all of the people who have supported and believed in me, during this challenging time in my life." Attorney Robert F. Nagel from Madison, WI will no longer be representing the former pageant contender.

Previously: Miss Wisconsin USA Shaletta Porterfield has given back her crown after being charged with three counts of identity theft, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes:

Porterfield, 26, apparently told police she had faked signatures of three business owners on contracts for advertising with a marketing company Porterfield was working for last summer, the Waunakee Tribune reported. When the businesses were asked to proof ads they hadn't agreed to buy, or paid for, they got suspicious and called police.

According to the Milwaukee newspaper, Porterfield was put under stress by the marketing company to hit commission numbers, but her lawyer Robert F. Nagel claims the scheme didn't bring in any money. The beauty queen has pleaded not guilty and will be in court come July. The Waunakee Tribune notes that she faces a $100,000 maximum fine or 6 years in prison, at most.

Porterfield would have competed for the Miss USA title in Las Vegas next month. First runner-up Jordan Marie Morkin will attend in her place.

Last year, Miss USA Rima Fakih found herself embroiled in scandal after taking home the title when photographs of her participating in the "Stripper 101" pole dancing contest were posted online by radio show "Mojo In The Morning." Read about that here.

WATCH a segment from WLUK news:

WATCH a recent interview with Porterfield:

(Via the New York Daily News)

Comments

[lyric220]

06:32 PM on 05/17/2011

well the inbred tra iler trash from aol are sure showing up in force today.

[SitandStay]

05:43 PM on 05/17/2011

I grew pot in my backyard 35 years ago. I was arrested. Let it be said that HP is a site where only criminals gather. It's rife with immoral people that ruin this country.

After the bonfire is merely smoldering and the beauty queen has been decapitated, we can all return to our thatched huts and eat some pig gruel.

[SitandStay]

05:37 PM on 05/17/2011

Hmmm, let's see, I read an article earlier this week on employees hired by a company that processed mortgage paperwork for banks. They were paid $10 an hour and the employees, male and female, were all told to sign the name "Linda Green". They were expected to sign at least 300 documents an hour with that vice presidents name.
Let's do the math 300 x 8 hrous equals 2,400 signatures in one day, possibly causing some of those people to lose their homes. Let's prosecute them all and pro-rate the guilt of these document signers and this beauty contestant's faux pas. Then let's prosecute according to the actual damages done and the magnitude of misrepresentation, accordingly for the banksters.......who have not seen any demand for accountability nor MSM focus.
This is NOTHING! We don't give a tinkers d/\mn!

[Kitty Crawl]

12:35 PM on 05/17/2011

OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM FORMER PAGEANT CONTENDER SHALETTA PORTERFIELD--
[Los Angeles, CA] – [May 17, 2011]

Shaletta Porterfield relinquished the Miss Wisconsin USA crown, to avoid any possible embarrassment to the USA Pageant, Friday, May 13th.

Miss Porterfield was charged in Dane County, Wisconsin, with three counts of
misappropriating identity and has entered a "not guilty" plea.

"I pray, and truly believe, that these allegations will be cleared up soon. In the mean time, I will continue to give back to the communities I love, in The greater Madison area, through various charities and community service
efforts."

“I would also like to take the time and thank all of the people who have supported and believed in me, during this challenging time in my life."

Attorney Robert F. Nagel from Madison, WI will no longer be representing the former pageant contender. Additionally, anyone allegedly claiming to be a spokesperson on behalf of Miss Porterfield or Miss Universe Organization should be disregarded, as Bernadette Holder of Quantum PR, in Los Angeles, CA is the only person authorized to make any public statements regarding Miss Porterfield and this matter.

CONTACT: Bernadette Holder, QUANTUM PR [e-mail]

[cdremsabell]

10:23 AM on 05/17/2011

really??? and here i was having a meltdown cause my kid squeezed the toothpaste tube in the middle. Puts everything in perspctive now...GEEZ

[CamelPaw357]

09:15 AM on 05/17/2011

Merely being charged with a crime means very little. I don't believe I'm the only one that smells racism here. If this situation involved a white women, under identical circumstances, I'd doubt the crown would be returned. I also smell a rat here and it really stinks.

[Sandra Power]

09:46 AM on 05/17/2011

Or- People trying to use a race card to excuse bad behavior????? If someone commits a crime and happens to be black, you can't say anything or prosecute because you will be accused of being a rascist??? Nah, that would never happen.

[bootknocker]

02:18 PM on 05/21/2011

What race card Sandra? Are you feeling less entitled because you were not dealt your share of the rest of the friggin "whole" deck? Get over it! I'm white and your comment stinks of the subtle racism that many like you snicker about in your little adolescent minded groups. We are all human! So stop pushing the mentale of the inbreds. Your comment does not reflect the views of intelligent people who realize that racism does indeed exists in the country; and that blacks and other minorities are the targets of this cancerous and evil mindset. Stop adding salt to the wound. Your words are hurtful and embarrassing.

[bigdaveh]

10:27 AM on 05/17/2011

Nah, nice try. She did he deed before the contest and obviously was under investigation before she was crowned. The jury will determine the facts, but I'm sure the ethics clause in the pagent contract has something about being arrested as a bad thing.

[bootknocker]

02:33 PM on 05/21/2011

"...obviously under investigation before she was crowned." Possible, but the timing of this complaint is what bothers me. There is more to this story than what is being written here. We do not know her side of the story yet. It is written that a supposed "crime of identity theft," took place here. "She did the deed?" Yet, she pleaded not guilty. I'm going to wait for the rest of the story. Seems like this marketing company is deflecting their illegal practices and Ms. Porterfield is the patsy. Yes, she was right to step down for the time being. In the end, she will get her crown back. Have faith.

[rm42749]

08:40 AM on 05/17/2011

Do the 15% of the population that is black commit 85% of the crime or does the news just choose to report the black crime? Lots of race related comments going on here.

[jsumnersum]

06:54 AM on 05/17/2011

Ah, another horse of a different color exposed! They are everywhere! It's what they do.

[bnd112076]

09:15 AM on 05/17/2011

Now Now, i do believe that Arnold Schwarzenegger, charlie sheen, Larry Wilcox, 63, and many more, is in the media for creating less favorable acts. It is not just blacks that create crimes.Do your research.

[dav0001]

10:50 PM on 05/16/2011

What I think is really stupid is that people who know they have things in their past that could get them in trouble get into different things that they know will have a problem with what they've done. There are rules and restrictions. If you've done something that goes against them you can expect trouble. It's like the guy on The Real World who did gay porn but never told anyone and insisted he was straight. Even when he was caught in the lie he didn't tell the complete truth. It's like...dummy, the tapes are out there. There's proof of what you did. These people bring it on themselves.

[jnewlease6402]

12:02 AM on 05/17/2011

would that be your WHITE collar crime?

[grdndoctor]

12:51 AM on 05/17/2011

wow, that's just ugly

[daniele7ster]

07:39 PM on 05/16/2011

Another pageant FRAUD. If they insist on continuing these contests, can they at least drop the "they're-pretty-on-the-inside" line?

[fortyniner]

07:00 PM on 05/16/2011

The Miss World Pageant is far superior to our pageants, especially, The Miss Universe Pageant.
Someone pulls the strings so The Miss World Pageant is not shown on a prime network in America. Wonder who it could be?????????

[jabreal00]

11:23 PM on 05/16/2011

You are silly. They both g@rbage.

[fiestyolefart]

06:48 PM on 05/16/2011

Why doesn't this surprise me at all?????

[Calvin55]

08:49 AM on 05/17/2011

Please, tell us...

[bootknocker]

02:55 PM on 05/21/2011

I don't know, you tell me. Perhaps it wasn't what you were expecting?

BOO! Were you surprised? hahahaha! You weren't expecting that; were u?

[chrisfabiguti]

06:45 PM on 05/16/2011

Everyone has a past but it's also embarassing to do something seriously illegal!

[PublicOption09]

10:12 PM on 05/17/2011

Yeah, forging a greedy employer's signature is sure seriously illegal! It's almost as bad as murder!!!

[Courtenay Jones]

06:39 PM on 05/16/2011

I lied it doesn't scare me. I just would like to become an ex-pat as soon as possible. Or live on an island. No country for black folk...?