• Ted DiBiase Jr. Is Facing Decades In Prison
The son of the legendary “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, Ted DiBiase Jr., is being charged with theft of millions of US dollars in federal funds as part of a Mississippi welfare fraud scandal.
The Ruthless Aggression Era veteran was charged with misappropriating government funds, that were intended for low-income people and families in need within the state of Mississippi.
The official press release statement of the Department of Justice reads the following:
“Former Professional Wrestler Charged with Theft of Millions of Dollars in Federal Funds Intended for Needy Families
A federal indictment was unsealed today in Mississippi charging a former professional wrestler with misappropriating millions of dollars in federal safety-net funds intended for needy families and low-income individuals in Mississippi.
According to court documents, Theodore Marvin DiBiase Jr., 40, of Madison, along with co-conspirators John Davis, Christi Webb, Nancy New, and others, are alleged to have fraudulently obtained federal funds – including from The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program – that they misappropriated for their own personal use and benefit.
Davis was the executive director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS). As part of the alleged scheme, after federal funds were issued to MDHS, Davis directed MDHS to subgrant the funds to two nonprofit organizations, Family Resource Center of North Mississippi Inc. (FRC) and Mississippi Community Education Center (MCEC), which were operated by Webb and New, respectively. Davis then allegedly directed Webb and New to award sham contracts to various individuals and entities purportedly for the delivery of social services, including at least five sham contracts that were awarded to DiBiase’s companies, Priceless Ventures LLC and Familiae Orientem LLC.
As further alleged in the indictment, under these sham contracts, FRC and MCEC provided millions of dollars in federal funds from MDHS to DiBiase and his companies for social services that DiBiase did not provide and did not intend to provide. DiBiase allegedly used these federal funds to buy a vehicle and a boat, and for the down payment on the purchase of a house, among other expenditures.
DiBiase is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, six counts of wire fraud, two counts of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, and four counts of money laundering. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison for the conspiracy count, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count, and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and for each count of money laundering.”
If the former 2-time World Tag Team Champion gets convicted, he faces up to (maximum) 20 years in a federal prison for each wire fraud charge, plus a maximum of 10 years for each money laundering charge and a maximum of 5 years for each conspiracy charge.
Ted DiBiase Sr. issued the following statement regarding this situation:
“I’d like to personally issue an apology for an untimely post that was published through my social media channels earlier today.
As you know I try to share nostalgic memories from my wrestling career as a way for fans to revisit their childhood memories. Since my time is limited due to travel requirements, the posts are approved by me ahead of time and scheduled for a later date.
Our family is currently navigating a difficult season and while we cannot speak to these events publicly, we appreciate your prayers during this time.
Please know that I truly appreciate the love and support from the fans! You have been a part of our family for more than 40 years, and for that I could never thank you enough.”
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• ON THIS DAY IN WWF HISTORY (April 21, 2002) – WWF Sunday Night HEAT
On this day in 2002, the World Wrestling Federation aired an episode of their weekly TV show ‘WWF Sunday Night HEAT’.
It was broadcasted from the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri and featured the official Pre-Show of to the ‘WWF Backlash 2002’ PPV.
The only match on the card was:
Handicap Match: Big Show vs. Justin Credible & Stevie Richards
