JACKSON, Miss. — A former professional wrestler pleaded responsible Thursday to a federal cost associated to misspending of welfare cash that was supposed to assist needy households in Mississippi, one of many poorest states within the U.S.
Mississippi
Ex-wrestler pleads guilty again in Mississippi welfare fraud
He pleaded responsible in December 2020 to a state cost of creating false representations to defraud the federal government. State sentencing was delayed, and DiBiase has been cooperating with state and federal investigators others within the case, Hinds County District Legal professional Jody Owens stated.
Owens and Mississippi Auditor Shad White introduced DiBiase’s federal responsible plea.
“I applaud our federal companions for persevering with to pursue federal expenses for every particular person answerable for stealing from Mississippi’s most needy and weak residents,” Owens stated Thursday. “This case is much from over and each the state of Mississippi and the U.S. authorities will proceed to pursue all these concerned on this fraud, no matter their place or standing.”
White stated the auditor’s workplace will proceed to help prosecutors as they determine who will face felony expenses.
“I’m happy that our work uncovering the biggest public fraud in state historical past continues to end in convictions,” White stated.
John Davis, who was Mississippi Division of Human Companies government director from 2016 to mid-2019, pleaded responsible final September to state and federal expenses tied to misspending of cash by way of the Non permanent Help for Needy Households Program.
Davis’ state courtroom expenses had been principally tied to welfare cash spent on DiBiase, together with $160,000 for the previous wrestler’s drug rehabilitation in Malibu, California.
Davis, DiBiase and 4 different folks had been indicted on state expenses within the welfare misspending case in February 2020.
Two of these indicted, a mom and son who ran a nonprofit group and an training firm, pleaded responsible in April 2022 to state expenses of misusing welfare cash, together with on lavish presents such because the first-class airfare for Davis. Nancy New and Zachary New ran the group that funneled welfare cash for DiBiase’s drug rehab. They agreed to testify in opposition to others.
The welfare scandal has ensnared high-profile figures, together with retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre, who lives in Mississippi. Favre has not confronted felony expenses however is one in all greater than three dozen defendants in a civil lawsuit that the present Human Companies director filed to attempt to recuperate a number of the welfare cash wasted whereas Davis was in cost.
Welfare cash helped fund pet initiatives of the rich, together with $5 million for a volleyball enviornment that Favre supported at his alma mater, the College of Southern Mississippi, the state auditor stated. Favre’s daughter performed volleyball on the college beginning in 2017.