Former WWE wrestler Theodore Marvin DiBiase Jr. charged in Mississippi welfare scandal

Former WWE wrester Theodore Marvin DiBiase Jr., son of wrestling legend Ted “The Million Dollar Man” DiBiase Sr., has been charged with the usage of hundreds of thousands of greenbacks meant to assist needy households in Mississippi to shop for himself a ship, a automobile and a space, in step with a newly unsealed federal indictment. 

Prosecutors charged the 40-year-old DiBiase Jr. with conspiracy to devote cord fraud and to devote robbery regarding methods receiving federal price range, in addition to more than one counts of cord fraud, robbery regarding methods receiving federal price range, and 4 counts of cash laundering, prosecutors stated. 

DiBiase Jr. and others allegedly used federal price range from The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program “for their own personal use and benefit,” in step with prosecutors. 

Prosecutors allege that once federal price range have been issued to the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS), former government director John Davis directed MDHS to subgrant the price range to the nonprofit organizations Family Resource Center of North Mississippi Inc. (FRC), operated by way of Christi Webb, and Mississippi Community Education Center (MCEC), run by way of Nancy New. 

Davis then allegedly directed Webb and New to “award sham contracts to various individuals and entities purportedly for the delivery of social services, including at least five sham contracts that were awarded to DiBiase Jr.’s companies, Priceless Ventures LLC and Familiae Orientem LLC,” prosecutors stated. 

DiBiase Jr. allegedly used those federal price range to buy himself a automobile and a ship, and to place a down cost for a space, amongst different issues, in step with prosecutors. 

If convicted, DiBiase Jr. faces as much as 5 years in jail for the conspiracy depend, as much as two decades in jail for every cord fraud depend, and as much as 10 years in jail for every depend of robbery regarding methods receiving federal price range and for every depend of cash laundering, prosecutors stated. 

The indictment is the newest replace in the Mississippi welfare scandal that invovles retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre. 

In February, Favre filed court cases accusing the state auditor and two sportscasters of defaming him in public discussions in regards to the scandal. 

Favre isn’t dealing with felony fees in the Mississippi welfare scandal, however he’s amongst greater than 3 dozen other people or companies the state is suing to take a look at to get well misspent cash during the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.