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| DERRICK LEE / CREDIT: FACEBOOK |
Last May 6, 2016, Critical Beauty published a report on pageant organizer Derrick Lee, who had been accused of consumer fraud by pocketing charity money, among other things.
Critical Beauty has recently received an update from Kimberly Holliday Triani who had initially launched the investigation on Lee's unethical business dealings. On her Facebook page, Triani posted the comprehensive update. With her permission, we are reposting it for our readers:
Derrick Lee Scam Alert Update:
A JUDGEMENT HAS BEEN ENTERED AGAINST DERRICK LEE IN VIOLATION OF THE CONSUMER FRAUD ACT!!
I had always believed that the TRUTH would eventually come to light. For those of you not familiar with the situation, Derrick Lee of Team DQ Pageant Prep and Image Consulting was a director for the Illinois pageant of one of the world's top systems. In March 2015, he took it upon himself to host a photogenic competition as a fundraiser for Lurie Children's Hospital during which he raised thousands of dollars that was supposed to go to helping families of sick children.
The story was featured twice on CBS Channel 2 Chicago. ( http://chicago.cbslocal.com/…/2-investigators-pageant-orga…/ )
For almost two years Derrick Lee of Team DQ Pageant Prep and Image Consulting, (and according to his Facebook profile is an affiliate of Miss Globe US Pageant, Miss Latina World Pageant, Miss Bikini US Pageant, and American Model & Pageant Magazine) has defamed our family name and our family business. For the past two years Derrick Lee proclaimed his innocence and stated he never stole the money he collected for Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital and that I had fabricated this story because he didn't want to use our company as a sponsor again. On August 22, 2017 the TRUTH CAME TO LIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!
LET'S SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT!
#1. Our business was NEVER going to do business with Derrick Lee again. We do not engage in business practices with ANY company or individual that does not uphold common core values including integrity, honesty, and compassion. Knowledge and understanding of the very most basic human values is of basic importance to any human in the world, to make TRULY responsible decisions, and to give a responsible direction to one's life; and also to give a truly responsible direction to the development of our children. Derrick Lee does not embody the core values that our family and/or our business lives by. Anyone that would steal from sick children has some major soul searching to engage in. It is also our belief that any company working with Derrick Lee with the knowledge of his activities is complicit in allowing his behavior.
ESPECIALLY IN THIS INDUSTRY IN WHICH WE ARE SUPPOSED TO TEACH OTHERS THE SPIRIT OF PHILANTHROPY AND THE POWER OF GIVING BACK!!!!!! THOSE ENGAGED IN CONSUMER FRAUD HAVE NO BUSINESS IN THIS INDUSTRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Logistically speaking, we should also point out that Derrick Lee's contract was terminated with the aforementioned pageant system, so in reality there was no sponsorship for him to supposedly pull from us anyway.
#2. On August 22, 2017 a permanent injunction and restitution were ordered against Derrick Lee. In the judgement (which was signed by Derrick Lee)
* Derrick Lee stipulates that he solicited and collected monies from members of the public as part of the Miss Photogenic Competition.
* Derrick Lee stipulates that he solicited and collected these monies for the benefit of the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital.
* Derrick Lee stipulates that he solicited and collected AT LEAST $3000.00 from members of the public during the Miss Photogenic Competition.
* Thereby Derrick Lee was ordered to pay $3000.00 total in restitution to the Ann and Lurie Children's hospital.
* Derrick Lee signed the agreement and has 5 months to pay back the money or may face criminal charges.
*** THIS IS NOW PART OF DERRICK LEE'S PERMANENT RECORD *** ALL OF WHICH IS PUBLIC RECORD
#3. INNOCENT people don't sign a document stipulating these facts and agree to pay back $3000 in damages to a hospital they didn't steal from.
Those are the facts surrounding the case of consumer fraud and deceptive business practices against Derrick Lee and how he engaged in practices against individuals in violation of the Consumer Fraud Act.
For a complete copy of the Judgement Entered Against Derrick Lee you may click on this Facebook link.
Triani told Critical Beauty, "He (Derrick Lee) has defamed my name for 2 years telling people I made up the charges. Hearing that the state has ordered him to pay restitution and put a permanent injunction against him will help clear my name. More importantly, protect people from doing business with him."