Mississippi
Dupree decries Favre comparison in fraud case
Marcus Dupree, who rose to fame in Mississippi and past after a short however spectacular soccer profession that grew to become the topic of an ESPN documentary, is talking out about his alleged function in a sprawling welfare fraud case that has additionally entangled Corridor of Fame NFL quarterback Brett Favre and dozens of others.
A lawsuit filed in Could by the Mississippi Division of Human Providers alleges Dupree was illegally paid a whole bunch of 1000’s of {dollars} in federal welfare cash that was meant for the state’s neediest households. On Wednesday, Dupree denied wrongdoing in an interview with ESPN.
“I do not admire being lumped into one thing like I took cash,” Dupree mentioned. “I labored too laborious on my fame to do the correct factor and be the correct individual and I do not like what is going on on.”
Dupree, 58, grew up in Philadelphia, Mississippi, the place his highlight-reel-worthy performances as a highschool operating again made him probably the most wanted soccer recruit within the nation. A standout in his freshman season on the College of Oklahoma in 1982, Dupree’s profession was in the end hampered by accidents. His soccer journey was profiled within the 2010 ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, The Finest That By no means Was.
Throughout his post-playing days, Dupree maintained local-celebrity standing inside his dwelling state, steadily showing at public capabilities or occasions staged by way of his basis.
However his identify did not seem with any frequency within the nationwide media till the outcomes of a state audit in Mississippi grew to become public and a lawsuit was then filed by the state in Could towards Dupree, his basis and dozens of different defendants.
In response to the civil lawsuit, from August 2017 to September 2019 Dupree was paid $371,000 from Non permanent Help for Needy Households (TANF) funds.
A Mississippi Division of Human Providers initiative known as Households First for Mississippi, run by two non-profits, illegally funneled the federal welfare cash to Dupree, the lawsuit states, in alternate for his work as a “superstar endorser” and “motivational speaker.”
An investigation by Mississippi At present was the primary to disclose that the non-profits that paid Dupree and others both misspent or stole no less than $77 million in welfare funds in what’s thought of the worst public corruption case in state historical past.
Dupree instructed ESPN he “was shocked,” when he discovered that Nancy New, the pinnacle of one of many non-profits, the Mississippi Group Schooling Heart, pleaded responsible to 13 felony counts of bribery, fraud and racketeering. Dupree mentioned he was not conscious the cash New had used to pay him had come from misappropriated welfare funds.
In response to a 2019 state audit, Dupree was paid, partially, for “equine assisted studying,” which Mississippi’s State Auditor, Shad White, instructed ESPN meant “instructing folks the way to journey horses.”
White mentioned his workplace discovered “restricted proof,” Dupree or anybody else ever delivered these kinds of companies to the needy.
However Dupree insists he did mentor teenagers at his 15-acre horse farm in Flora, Mississippi.
“I mentored the children by way of the horses by having duty, cleansing the stalls, and, for those who received good with that, I might allow you to journey a horse. A lot of the mother and father simply wished them to be round me. I am enthusiastic about what we did and for the state to be speaking about ‘Oh none of that occurred,’ sure it did,” Dupree mentioned.
Dupree mentioned he could not quantify what number of instances he mentored teenagers at his horse farm however he says over the roughly two-year interval he was paid by the state he additionally made 20-to-30 appearances working as a liaison for Households First, touring Mississippi to talk in prisons, faculties and recording radio commercials.
“I used to be all around the state. I signed a contract and I did my job,” Dupree mentioned.
“I am getting lumped in with no matter Brett Favre and the Governor had occurring. I did not even find out about that, nothing. I used to be shocked after I heard it. I am unable to wait till we go to court docket. I do not know what Brett did. I can solely converse for Marcus.”
Marcus Dupree on fraud allegations
Dupree offered ESPN a number of pictures of what seem like teenage boys, whom he says he mentored at his stables in Flora, in addition to pictures from quite a few public appearances.
“If Mr. Dupree want to argue that the quantities he was paid had been fairly justified for the variety of speeches given and may present proof of the speeches, he’ll be capable of make that argument in a court docket,” White mentioned.
On April 13, 2018, Dupree’s basis bought the horse farm and residence in Flora the place Dupree at the moment lives for $855,000. The five-bedroom, 4,100-square foot house is valued at simply over $1 million, in response to the actual property web site Zillow.
In response to an audit carried out by White’s workplace, $171,000 in TANF cash was used because the down fee towards Dupree’s dwelling and surrounding property.
White instructed ESPN such purchases “can be unallowable due to the prohibition towards buying actual property with TANF funds.” He additionally famous the “unreasonableness” of utilizing federal welfare cash, meant for job coaching and help for needy households, to assist buy a five-bedroom dwelling and a horse farm for a state-contracted worker.
The non-profit that funneled the cash to Dupree went as far as to “assure the residence by way of the financial institution with a six-year lease from April 1, 2018 by way of March 31, 2024,” in response to the state audit. The month-to-month lease funds for the property totaled $9,500, the audit states.
Dupree mentioned he has no intention of paying the state again, as White’s workplace has demanded. “I’ve a lawyer and I am simply ready to see the way it all pans out,” Dupree mentioned.
In October 2021, Dupree’s lawyer, J. Matthew Eichelberger, despatched a sharply worded letter to White.
“Neither Mr. Dupree, nor his basis, will probably be making any fee in response to your demand. Make no mistake: Mr. Dupree earned the cash he was paid, and he by no means had any motive to imagine the cash was being improperly spent by state officers,” Eichelberger wrote.
To this point six folks have been indicted within the pending welfare fraud case. 5 have pleaded responsible.
Brett Favre is just not amongst these going through prison prices however, like Dupree, he stays a defendant within the ongoing civil lawsuit filed by the state of Mississippi in Could. Textual content messages present he pressured former Mississippi governor Phil Bryant to acquire $5 million in funds to assist construct a brand new volleyball heart at his alma mater, the College of Southern Mississippi, the place his daughter performed the game. Favre has denied wrongdoing.
Dupree mentioned unfavorable press involving Favre in current months has broken his personal fame.
“I am getting lumped in with no matter Brett Favre and the Governor had occurring. I did not even find out about that, nothing. I used to be shocked after I heard it. I am unable to wait till we go to court docket. I do not know what Brett did. I can solely converse for Marcus.”