Former WWE wrestler charged with theft of hundreds of thousands from Mississippi welfare program

Former WWE wrestler Ted DiBiase Jr., the son of Ted “The Million Greenback Man” DiBiase Sr., been charged with misappropriating hundreds of thousands in federal safety-net funds for needy households in Mississippi, in line with a federal indictment that was unsealed on Thursday. 

DiBiase Jr. was amongst a bunch of people that allegedly used these funds supposed for low-income people and households for their very own private profit. 

John Davis, the manager director of the Mississippi Division of Human Providers, Christi Webb, the top of the Human Useful resource Heart of North Mississippi Inc., and Nancy New, who ran the Mississippi Group Training Heart, are amongst these named within the indictment as properly. 

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Teddy DiBiase Jr. earlier than his first skilled combat for the World League Wrestling on July 8, 2006, in Eldon, Missouri. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Photos)

In an official launch, the Division of Justice acknowledged that federal funds, which got here from the Emergency Meals Help Program and the Momentary Help for Needy Households program, amongst others, had been directed to Webb’s and New’s organizations by Davis’ MDHS as subgrants.

Davis then advised Webb and New, in line with the discharge, “to award sham contracts to numerous people and entities purportedly for the supply of social providers, together with at the very least 5 sham contracts that had been awarded to DiBiase’s corporations, Priceless Ventures LLC and Familiae Orientem LLC.”

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The indictment added that DiBiase Jr.’s organizations got hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to supply social providers, which they didn’t present and by no means supposed to. 

As a substitute, the indictment alleges that DiBiase Jr. used the funds to “purchase a car and a ship, and for the down cost on the acquisition of a home, amongst different expenditures.”

“DiBiase is charged with one rely of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to commit theft regarding packages receiving federal funds, six counts of wire fraud, two counts of theft regarding packages receiving federal funds, and 4 counts of cash laundering,” the assertion learn. 

DiBiase Jr., if convicted, would face a most 5 years for the conspiracy rely, 20 years for every wire fraud rely, and 10 years for every rely of theft and cash laundering. 

Teddy DiBiase Jr. works out within the ring at Harley Race’s Wrestling Faculty on July 5, 2006, in Eldon, Missouri. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Photos)

In 1999, DiBiase Sr. based the “Coronary heart of Davis Ministry,” as he’s at present a Christian minister. In February 2020, studies acknowledged that the ministry acquired greater than $2.1 million in welfare funds from the state of Mississippi following his son, Brett’s, hiring because the deputy administrator of the state Division of Human Providers. A courtroom later in October 2022 ordered DiBiase Sr. to pay $722,299 in misappropriated funds. 

Then, the DiBiase household was sued by the Mississippi Division of Human Providers, in a case that additionally included NFL Corridor of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, amongst others, to recuperate $20 million in “squandered” funds, which is taken into account the most important fraud case in state historical past. 

“I’ve been unjustly smeared within the media,” Favre mentioned in an announcement offered solely to Alokito Mymensingh 24 Digital in October 2022. “I’ve completed nothing incorrect, and it’s previous time to set the file straight.

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“Nobody ever advised me, and I didn’t know, that funds designated for welfare recipients had been going to the College or me. I attempted to assist my alma mater USM, a public Mississippi state college, elevate funds for a wellness middle. My aim was and at all times shall be to enhance the athletic services at my college. 

“State companies offered the funds to Nancy New’s charity, the Mississippi Group Training Heart, which then gave the funds to the College, all with the total data and approval of different State companies, together with the State-wide Institute for Larger Studying, the Governor’s workplace and the Lawyer Basic’s workplace. 

WWE Famous person Ted DiBiase Jr. on Aug. 16, 2012, in Beverly Hills, California. (David Livingston/Getty Photos)

“I used to be advised that the authorized work to make sure that these funds could possibly be accepted by the college was completed by State attorneys and State workers.”

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DiBiase Jr. is greatest identified within the wrestling world in his function as one of many three members of “The Legacy,” which included Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes. He left WWE in 2013, although he continued to wrestle on an impartial circuit earlier than calling it quits in 2017. 

Alokito Mymensingh 24′ Joe Morgan contributed to this report