
A California beauty queen has been accused of running a Ponzi scheme, allegedly defrauding friends of millions of dollars. Reports suggest she used the stolen funds to finance her extravagant lifestyle.
The United States Attorney's Office (Eastern District of California) indicted Maria "Dulce Pino" Dickerson on charges of running a Ponzi scheme, a fraudulent investment strategy named after Charles Ponzi, who famously deceived investors in the 1920s with a postage stamp speculation scheme.