Authorities charged Maria “Dulce Pino” Dickerson for running a Ponzi scheme she allegedly used to fund a lavish lifestyle of private jet trips to Las Vegas, designer shopping sprees, and luxe vacations that she flaunted on social media.
An indictment unsealed this week alleges Dickerson, 47, registered a business in 2020 in California, the same year she won a Ms. Woman Nevada pageant. She named the business Creative Legal Fundings, which was a ripoff of a similarly named legitimate business that Dickerson allegedly catfished her investors with. She told potential victims her business loaned money to attorneys to fund personal injury lawsuits and promised fixed rates of return, authorities alleged. She also claimed to have financial backing from two high-powered executives, including the CEO of a multinational casino company.
