By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Ted DiBiase Jr. was found not guilty of 13 charges related to the Mississippi welfare fraud scandal. The former WWE star pleaded not guilty to all charges in the federal case. A jury deliberated for four hours on Friday before returning its verdict. DiBiase Jr. did not testify in his own defense.
State auditor Shad White released the following statement: “While I’m disappointed in the result of the trial, nothing changes the fact that seven people have already pleaded guilty to state or federal charges because of the welfare scandal. My hope now is that the state’s lawyers will be able to recover as much of the misspent money as possible in civil court so hard-working taxpayers can see some accountability for what happened here.” To read more on the story, visit WIOX.com.
Powell’s POV: DiBiase Jr. was accused of using stolen welfare funds to purchase $1.4 million home, a $55,000 pontoon boat, a $34,000 Kubota tractor and a $40,000 truck, according to AL.com. I didn’t follow the case closely enough to form a strong opinion. One can only hope that the jury got it right in this case and that anyone who abused the system will be brought to justice. DiBiase started in developmental in July 2007, and finished his WWE main roster run in September 2013.
(Jason Powell, founder and editor of ProWrestling.net, has covered pro wrestling full-time dating back to 1997. He hosts a weekly podcast, Pro Wrestling Boom, and also appears regularly on the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast. Reach him via email at dotnetjason@gmail.com and on social media via @prowrestlingnet.bsky.social or x.com/prowrestlingnet. For his full bio and information on this website, click here.)
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