Former Mississippi nonprofit director pleads guilty in welfare scandal involving Brett Favre

The previous director of a Mississippi nonprofit group pleaded responsible Thursday in federal courtroom to stealing authorities funds supposed to assist needy households in one of many poorest states within the U.S., courtroom paperwork present.

Christi Webb, who stepped down this week as director of the north Mississippi-based Household Useful resource Middle, appeared earlier than U.S. District Decide Carlton Reeves in Jackson. Court docket paperwork present Webb pleaded responsible to prices that might ship her to jail for as much as 10 years.

The federal prices stem from a welfare scandal that has ensnared high-profile figures, together with retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre, who lives in Mississippi.

John Davis, who was Mississippi Division of Human Providers govt director from 2016 to mid-2019, pleaded responsible final September to state and federal prices tied to misspending cash by way of the Momentary Help for Needy Households program. He has not but been sentenced.

The Mississippi Division of Human Providers final yr filed a civil lawsuit to attempt to get well the tens of millions of {dollars} of misspent welfare cash. Webb and the Household Useful resource Middle of North Mississippi are amongst these being sued. Favre has not confronted prison prices however is one among greater than three dozen defendants within the civil lawsuit.

Nancy New and Zachary New, a mom and son who ran one other nonprofit group and an schooling firm, pleaded responsible in April 2022 to state prices of misusing welfare cash, together with on lavish items equivalent to first-class airfare for Davis. The Information’ group additionally funneled welfare cash for use on drug rehab for Brett DiBiase, a former professional wrestler and good friend of Davis who has pleaded responsible to state and federal fraud prices.

Welfare cash helped fund pet tasks of the rich, together with $5 million for a volleyball area that Favre supported at his alma mater, the College of Southern Mississippi, the state auditor stated. Favre’s daughter performed volleyball on the faculty beginning in 2017.

A sentencing listening to for Webb has been set for June 16.