Beauty Queen Gone Bad: From Miss Maryland to Misdemeanor

By: Ryan Smith
Topics: Daily Blotter

(WUSA)

Tia Shorts.

ROCKVILLE, Md. (CBS/AP) - She went from praying for world peace and modeling swimsuits at the Miss USA tournament, to pleading guilty in a drug case involving cocaine and smack.

Tia Shorts knows something about a fall from grace.

Shorts, Miss Maryland 2004, pled guilty Thursday to obstructing a police drug-deal investigation, in Montgomery County Circuit Court.

Named "Miss Congeniality" by her fellow contestants in the '04 beauty pageant, Shorts competed in the Miss USA tournament as the representative of the Old Line State.

She had been charged initially with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and drug possession , but accepted a plea offer, resulting in a lesser charge. Shorts' boyfriend, his brother and their 67-year-old mother were also arrested in the case.

(WUSA)

Mugshot of Tia Shorts.

Officers were monitoring an apartment in the suspected drug dealing case this spring, and arrested three people outside the apartment. Police found ex-beauty contestant Shorts upon entering the premises, along with cash, drugs, and ammunition.

Police say she and her boyfriend were dealing drugs from their apartment.

Shorts will be sentenced in November. Both she and her attorney declined to comment Thursday.

No word on whether there could be other beauty competitions in her future.

Sometimes trouble just seems to follow the tiara. Click here to see some other beauties who have had scrapes with the law.

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