Federal sentencing delayed in Mississippi welfare fraud case

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A federal decide signed an order Friday to indefinitely delay sentencing of a former Mississippi welfare director in a case about misspending cash that was supposed to assist needy households in one of many poorest states within the U.S.

John Davis pleaded responsible to federal and state expenses in September and agreed to testify towards others in Mississippi’s largest public corruption case. His sentencing initially was set for Feb. 2.

The U.S. lawyer’s workplace for southern Mississippi filed papers Jan. 20 to request a delay, writing that “sentencing on this case will likely be advanced.” U.S. District Decide Carlton Reeves authorised the request Friday to delay sentencing “till a date handy to all events.”

Davis was government director of the Mississippi Division of Human Providers from February 2016 by July 2019. He was appointed by then-Gov. Phil Bryant, a Republican.

Davis was an influential determine in a scandal that has snared a number of folks, together with professional wrestler Ted DiBiase, often called the “million greenback man,” whose Christian ministry was ordered to repay greater than $720,000 in misspent welfare cash.

The scandal additionally has raised questions on Bryant and retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre, though neither of them has confronted legal expenses. The state is suing Favre in a civil case that seeks to get well misspent welfare cash. Davis had direct management of federal welfare cash that was channeled to pet initiatives similar to a brand new volleyball area on the college the place Favre’s daughter performed the game.

On Sept. 22, Davis pleaded responsible to at least one rely of conspiracy and one rely of theft from packages receiving federal funds. He faces as much as 15 years in jail.

The federal expenses say Davis conspired with 4 different folks, who weren’t named. Court docket paperwork described two of the alleged conspirators as government administrators of organizations, one because the proprietor of two firms and one solely as a resident of Hinds County, Mississippi.

The costs say one group paid practically $498,000 to one of many firms in June 2018. Just a few days later, that firm entered a $1.1 million contract with the opposite firm “purportedly in change for making a program to serve inner-city youth.” The costs additionally say the identical group paid $700,000 that summer season to the corporate with the youth program contract.

The federal theft expenses say Davis misused federal grants of greater than $10,000.

Hours after pleading responsible in federal courtroom, Davis appeared in state courtroom and pleaded responsible to 5 counts of conspiracy and 13 counts of fraud towards the federal government. Hinds County Circuit Decide Adrienne Wooten gave Davis a 90-year sentence with 58 of these suspended and 32 to serve. She put him on home arrest till his federal sentencing.

The state courtroom expenses had been largely tied to welfare cash spent on one in every of Ted DiBiase’s sons, Brett DiBiase, who was additionally a professional wrestler. The spending included $160,000 for drug rehabilitation for Brett DiBiase in Malibu, California, and greater than $1,000 for first-class airfare for Davis to journey to Malibu to see him.