But Porterfield voluntarily resigned late last week, according to pageant officials, after prosecutors in Dane County, Wisconsin filed a three-count criminal complaint against her.
According to the criminal complaint, Porterfield worked as a commissioned sales representative for a Illinois company that sells telephone directory and Internet advertisements.
In an effort to inflate her commissions, prosecutors allege that Porterfield drew up phony contracts with three businesses in Waunakee, Wisconsin and forged the signatures of the businesses.
The businesses only learned of the contracts when Porterfield's employer, American Marketing & Publishing, sent them proofs of the ads to review as well as invoices totaling $4,670.
If convicted, Porterfield could face six years in state prison and fines of as much as $10,000 for each of the three charges. Her attorney, Robert Nagel, was out of the office on Tuesday and did not immediately return a call and e-mail requesting comment.
The Miss USA contest is part of the Miss Universe Pageant, which is owned by real estate magnate and celebrity TV star Donald Trump.
The runner-up in the Miss Wisconsin-USA contest for 2011, 20-year-old Jordan Morkin, will now represent the state in Las Vegas next month.
Source: reuters
