Mississippi
Wrestler only the second person to be charged federally in Mississippi welfare scandal
Brett DiBiase, a former skilled wrestler and son of WWE’s “Million Greenback Man,” pleaded responsible Thursday to a brand new federal cost that includes his brother, Ted “Teddy” DiBiase Jr., as an alleged co-conspirator.
The plea indicators that DiBiase might act as a witness within the federal authorities’s ongoing investigation into the Mississippi welfare scandal, during which officers misspent or stole tens of tens of millions of federal welfare funds below the administration of former Gov. Phil Bryant.
However Brett DiBiase, who admitted to at least one depend of conspiracy to defraud the federal government, doesn’t seem poised to testify in opposition to his brother. Teddy DiBiase and the boys’s mother and father, Ted and Melanie DiBiase, sat within the courtroom for the plea listening to Thursday. All three DiBiase males are dealing with costs in Mississippi Division of Human Providers parallel civil lawsuit, which calls for they return over $5 million in welfare funds they obtained.
“Teddy and Melanie and Ted Sr. love Brett and are right here to assist him like they all the time have and all the time will,” Teddy DiBiase’s lawyer Scott Gilbert stated on the courthouse.
Whereas Teddy DiBiase has not been formally charged, federal authorities hinted they had been zoning in on the older brother once they tried to grab his $1.5 million Madison residence in 2020. Teddy DiBiase was additionally included as an alleged co-conspirator within the invoice of knowledge that former welfare director John Davis pleaded responsible to in September.
Each Davis and Brett DiBiase pleaded responsible to a doc known as a invoice of knowledge, which happens when the defendant opts in opposition to a grand jury indictment. They’re the one individuals who have confronted federal legal costs associated to the welfare scandal.
Davis’ mixed 20 felony counts include a complete doable jail sentence of many years, however his plea settlement assures he’ll solely serve time for his two federal costs, which have most sentences of 5 and ten years. In trade, Davis can be cooperating with prosecutors.
Davis was Bryant’s direct subordinate, and he may have essentially the most data of Bryant’s position within the scandal.
“As I’ve stated earlier than, this case is way 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,” Hinds County District Lawyer Jody Owens stated in an announcement after Brett DiBiase’s plea listening to.
Davis introduced the DiBiase household into the administration of the state’s welfare company and Non permanent Help for Needy Households program for a number of purported functions, corresponding to worker coaching and motivational talking, opioid abuse consciousness, youth mentoring, improvement of a cellphone app to trace teenagers, and workforce improvement. Whereas they obtained fee up entrance, lots of the applications by no means got here to fruition.
These are solely a few of the agreements — what prosecutors have known as “sham contracts” — that make up the most important public fraud case in Mississippi historical past. Others embody the $8 million value of welfare-funded tasks impressed by NFL legend Brett Favre. Within the investigative collection “The Backchannel,” Mississippi In the present day discovered via personal textual content messages that Bryant and Favre had mentioned these tasks, and that Favre even enticed the governor by providing shares in one of many firms that obtained stolen welfare funds. Favre is a civil defendant however has not been charged criminally.
READ MORE: Mississippi In the present day’s full “The Backchannel” investigation
Bryant has confronted no costs. As an alternative, the official who initially investigated the case, State Auditor Shad White, whom Bryant initially appointed to his place, describes Bryant because the whistleblower of the case.
“I’m happy that our work uncovering the most important public fraud in state historical past continues to lead to convictions,” White stated in an announcement Thursday. “We’ll proceed to help the prosecutors, who resolve who faces legal costs.”
Whereas the state initially arrested six folks in 2020 — 5 of whom pleaded responsible and one who obtained pretrial diversion — Davis and Brett DiBiase are the one ones to be charged with federal crimes associated to the welfare scandal. Nonprofit operators Nancy New and her son Zach New, whose nonprofit Mississippi Neighborhood Training Middle facilitated a lot of the theft or misspending, pleaded responsible to separate federal costs that they defrauded the Mississippi Division of Training.
Since nobody has been sentenced within the both the state or federal instances, nobody is presently serving a jail sentence.
Davis employed Brett DiBiase on the welfare company in 2017, then secured for him a six-figure job at Mississippi Neighborhood Training Middle, the place Davis was more and more outsourcing the TANF program. Federal prosecutors say DiBiase was not certified for the job. In 2018, DiBiase entered a $48,000 contract with the welfare division present opioid habit schooling, however after slipping again into his personal habit, he did not carry out the service. Davis and New then used $160,000 in federal funds to pay for Brett DiBiase’s four-month stint at a luxurious rehab facility in Malibu, Davis and New admitted of their state responsible pleas.
Throughout the Thursday plea listening to, prosecutors described how they’d show the fees in opposition to Brett DiBiase. They cited a textual content during which Brett DiBiase requested Davis what the identify of the nonprofit he labored for was.
Whereas pleading responsible, federal prosecutors allowed Brett DiBiase to “considerably agree” with the “important info” of the invoice of knowledge in opposition to him, however not the prosecutor’s narrative in its entirety. He didn’t specify which components he contested.
Brett DiBiase’s single conspiracy cost comes with a most sentence of 5 years and superb of as much as $250,000.
“I applaud our federal companions for persevering with to pursue federal costs for every particular person answerable for stealing from Mississippi’s most needy and susceptible residents,” Owens stated in his assertion.
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STARKVILLE – Mississippi State debuted 41 new players against Eastern Kentucky, including 23 transfers. But one of the biggest transfer portal additions wasn’t on the field and may not be again this week.
Senior receiver Kelly Akharaiyi was left off Mississippi State’s depth chart that was released and coach Jeff Lebby didn’t provide much clarity on the situation either.
“He’s getting closer and closer,” Lebby said at Tuesday morning press conference. “We need to be patient with him. We hope he has a good week and can create some confidence for himself more than anything. But I’m not ready to say he’s going to be available.”
Akharaiyi was one of the transfers most were looking forward to seeing in Lebby’s fast-paced, passing offense. But he was held out of season-opener for what was thought to be a minor injury. However, his uncertain status might be a sign of a more serious injury?
Or is Lebby playing a game of cat-and-mouse with Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham? We’ll found out soon enough.
QB1 – 2 Blake Shapen, 6-1, 210 lbs., Sr.
QB2 – 16 Chris Parson, 6-1, 215 lbs., Rs Fr.
or – 0 Michael Van Buren Jr., 6-1, 200 lbs., Fr.
RB1 – 24 Keyvone Lee, 6-0, 225 lbs., Sr.
-or- 21 Davon Booth, 5-10, 205 lbs., Sr.
RB2 – 20 Johnnie Daniels, 5-10, 200 lbs., Jr.
SLWR1 – 3 Kevin Coleman, 5-11, 180 lbs., Jr.
SLWR2 – 8 Creed Whittemore, 5-11, 185 lbs., So.
SLWR 3 – 80 Kade Kolka, 5-11, 190 lbs., Sr.
WR1 – 6 Jordan Mosley, 6-0, 195 lbs., Jr.
WR2 – 5 Stonka Burnside, 6-0, 200 lbs., Fr.
WR3 – 13 Sanfrisco Magee, 6-2, 200 lbs., Fr.
WR1 – 14 Trent Hudson 6-3 180 Jr.
WR2 – 7 Mario Craver 5-10 170 Fr.
WR3 – 11 Jaden Walley 6-0 190 Sr.
TE1 – 18 Seydou Traore, 6-4, 235 lbs., R-Jr.
– or – 84 Justin Ball, 6-6, 250 lbs., Sr.
TE2 – 86 Nick Lauderdale, 6-3, 225 lbs., Sr.
or – 10 Cameron Ball, 6-6, 250 lbs., So.
LT1 – 66 Makylan Pounders, 6-5, 310 lbs., Jr.
LT2 – 51 Luke Work, 6-6, 305 lbs., Fr.
– or – 74 Jimothy Lewis Jr., 6-6, 310 lbs., Fr.
LG1 – 75 Jacoby Jackson, 6-6, 320 lbs., Jr.
LG2 – 53 Malik Ellis, 6-5, 285 lbs., So.
C1 – 67 Ethan Miner, 6-2, 305 lbs., Sr.
C2 – 72 Canon Boone, 6-4, 315 lbs., Jr.
RG1 – 77 Marlon Martinez, 6-5, 320 lbs., Sr.
RG2 – 52 Grant Jackson, 6-6, 325 lbs., Sr.
RT1 – 76 Albert Reese IV, 6-7, 330 lbs., Jr.
RT2 – 55 Leon Bell, 6-8, 325 lbs., R-Jr.
RT3 – 78 Amari Smith, 6-7, 325 lbs., R-Fr.
DT1 – 22 Kedrick Bingley-Jones, 6-4, 310 lbs., Jr.
– or – 23 Trevion Williams, 6-4, 295 lbs., R-Fr.
DT2 – 98 Ashun Shepphard, 6-3, 280 lbs., Jr.
DT1 – 35 Kalvin Dinkins, 6-2, 315 lbs., So.
– or – 8 Sulaiman Kpaka, 6-3, 300 lbs., Sr.
DT2 – 92 Eric Taylor, 6-4, 310 lbs., Jr.
– or – 90 Kai McClendon, 6-2, 305 lbs., Fr.
DE1 – 9 De’Monte Russell, 6-4, 285 lbs., Sr.
DE2 – 91 Deonte Anderson, 6-3, 270 lbs., Jr.
– or – 46 Joseph Head Jr., 6-4, 240 lbs., R-Fr.
JLB1 – 11 Ty Cooper, 6-4, 245 lbs., Jr.
– or – 44 Branden Jennings, 6-3, 240 lbs., Jr.
JLB2 – 36 Donterry Russell, 6-4, 225 lbs., So.
MLB1 – 7 Stone Blanton, 6-2, 230 lbs., Jr.
MLB2 – 26 JP Purvis, 6-1, 245 lbs., Sr.
DLB1 – 40 Nic Mitchell, 6-2, 230 lbs., Jr.
– or – 5 John Lewis, 6-3, 240 lbs., Jr.
DLB2 – 16 Zakari Tillman, 6-2, 225 lbs., So.
FS1 – 2 Isaac Smith, 6-0, 205 lbs., So.
FS2 – 12 Tyler Woodard, 6-2, 200 lbs., Jr.
SS1 – 21 Hunter Washington, 5-11, 190 lbs., Jr.
SS2 – 27 Chris Keys Jr., 6-0, 190 lbs., Jr.
– or – 17 Jordan Morant, 6-0, 210 lbs., Sr.
CB1 – 1 Kelley Jones, 6-4, 195 lbs., R-Fr.
– or – 6 Traveon Wright, 6-0, 180 lbs., R-Fr.
CB2 – 13 Raydarious Jones, 6-2, 180 lbs., Sr.
– or – 18 Khamauri Rogers, 6-0, 180 lbs., So.
CB1 – 14 Brice Pollock, 6-1, 190 lbs., So.
CB2 – 4 DeAgo Brumfield, 6-0, 190 lbs., Sr.
K1 – 80 Kyle Ferrie, 6-1, 205 lbs., So.
K2 – 82 Nick Barr-Mira, 6-0, 185 lbs., Sr.
K3 – 49 Marlon Hauck, 6-3, 195 lbs., So.
P1 – 82 Nick Barr-Mira, 6-0, 185 lbs., Sr.
P2 – 83 Zach Haynes, 6-1, 195 lbs., Sr.
P3 – 88 Ethan Pulliam, 6-1, 190 lbs., R-Fr.
KO1 – 49 Marlon Hauck, 6-3, 195 lbs., So.
KO2 – 82 Nick Barr-Mira, 6-0, 185 lbs., Sr.
PR1 – 3 Kevin Coleman, 5-11, 180 lbs., Jr.
PR2 – 8 Creed Whittemore, 5-11, 185 lbs., So.
KR1 – 21 Davon Booth, 5-10, 205 lbs., Sr.
– or – 20 Johnnie Daniels, 5-10, 200 lbs., Jr.
– or – 3 Kevin Coleman, 5-11, 180 lbs., Jr.
Mississippi State at Arizona State: How to Watch Bulldogs Football vs the Sun Devils
Mississippi State vs Ole Miss: 2025 Recruiting Battle Heats Up
Mississippi State vs. Arizona State: Top 5 Sun Devils to Watch
Mississippi State at Arizona State, Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Arizona State by 6 1/2.
Series record: First meeting.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Arizona State and Mississippi State both had dominant wins in the season-opening weekend and now have a tougher challenge when they face each other on Saturday night. The Sun Devils are trying to build off an impressive 48-7 win over Wyoming and prove they might be a factor in the Big 12 race. Arizona State has never beaten an SEC opponent. Mississippi State plays its second game under new coach Jeff Lebby. The Bulldogs beat Eastern Kentucky 56-7 in their season opener..
KEY MATCHUP
Mississippi State QB Blake Shapen vs. the Arizona State defense. The Sun Devils scored a touchdown on the second play of their opener when Zyrus Fiaseu picked off a pass and returned it to the end zone. It was one of two interceptions on the day for Arizona State. Shapen had a great debut against Eastern Kentucky but will face a much tougher defense on Saturday.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Mississippi State: Shapen had a terrific first game with the Bulldogs, throwing for 247 yards and three touchdowns while also running for 44 yards and a TD against Eastern Kentucky. The 6-foot-1 senior played the previous three college seasons at Baylor with mixed success. Shapen has thrown a TD pass in 12 consecutive games dating to this time at Baylor in 2022.
Arizona State: RB Cam Skattebo led a balanced rushing attack against Wyoming, gaining 49 yards and scoring a touchdown. Skattebo was a do-it-all player for Arizona State last year, spending time at quarterback, running back and receiver. The Sun Devils might not need him to be as versatile this season, but he’s still a threat from just about anywhere on the field.
FACTS & FIGURES
Mississippi State had six different players score touchdowns against Eastern Kentucky. … The Bulldogs’ 93.7 passing grade in the opener was the second-best mark in all of the FBS, trailing only Purdue, according to Pro Football Focus. … Mississippi State’s Kevin Coleman Jr. returned five punts for 117 yards last week. … Arizona State was credited with just two missed tackles on defense in the opener, tied for the third-lowest tally among FBS schools. … Skattebo is 270 rushing yards away from reaching 3,000 in his career. He is 342 all-purpose yards away from reaching 4,000 and 202 receiving yards away from reaching 1,000.
___
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STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football is preparing to play a team that, at least through one game, looks vastly improved from last season.
Coach Jeff Lebby admitted on Monday, and Bulldog players have noticed it too after Arizona State (1-0) thumped Wyoming 48-7 in its opener.
MSU (1-0) must also factor in the late kickoff that is scheduled Saturday (9:30 p.m. CT, ESPN) at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Mississippi is hot, but so is Arizona — a different kind of hot, too.
Modifications and remedies are being made, such as the team leaving Starkville on Thursday instead of how it normally would on a Friday for a Saturday game.
“For our guys, just knowing exactly what we are getting into,” Lebby said. “We continue to talk about that through yesterday and this morning and (are) having those conversations to understand what it’s going to look like late in the week. We got to do a great job from a preparation standpoint of how we are hydrating, how we are eating and how we are resting to give us the ability to go on the road on this flight and be able to be at our best Saturday night.”
Just this week, Phoenix broke a record with its 100th straight day of 100-degree temperatures. According to AccuWeather, the high on Saturday in Tempe will be 107 degrees with a low of 86. The temperature should dip to around 91 near kickoff with a humidity of 24%.
“Coach Lebby has already been harping on that,” tight end Justin Ball said. “We’ve already been hydrating and making sure we are getting rest every single day. We leave on Thursday, so we already talked about the plan to make sure we are hydrating the entire plane ride there, making sure when we get there we get acclimated as quickly as you can and just staying together. Making sure we’re focused, make sure we keep the goal first and then execute the game plan.”
MORE: Jeff Lebby says Mississippi State football didn’t put on a good enough show. Here’s how he’s wrong
Mississippi State played well the last time it played in Arizona
The Bulldogs played Arizona in Tucson two seasons ago. They squandered a pedestrian Wildcats team 39-17. Kickoff for that game was at 8 p.m. PST though the temperature was 84 degrees at game time.
Not many players remain on Mississippi State’s roster from that 2022 season. But the ones who are, like linebacker Nic Mitchell, can benefit from the experience and also share it with teammates.
“We know it’s going to be a long flight, so we know we got to be hydrated,” Mitchell said. “It gives people experience that have done it before and they can tell the young guys how it’s going to be in the flight, how you got to hydrate and stuff like that.”
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
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