Former WWE Superstar Ted DiBiase Jr. has seen his trial pushed back in relation to the largest case of welfare fund fraud in the history of the state of Mississippi.
DiBiase is charged with allegedly using two different companies to receive money from “at least five sham contracts.” DiBiase, according to litigation, received full or almost full payments regardless of whether sufficient, if any work, was carried out.
This is connected to a massive welfare scandal that involved several prominent names, including Ted’s father Ted Sr. Brett DiBiase, the brother of Ted Jr. has pled guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Judge Withdraws
Judge Carlton W. Reeves has recused himself from the criminal trial against DiBiase, though the reasoning behind this decision is currently not publicly known. In their place, Magistrate Judge LaKeysha Greer Isaac will now oversee the trial.
Trial Pushed Back
Because of this change, the trial against the former WWE World Tag Team Champion has been pushed back. He was originally set to face a pre-trial conference on June 21 and was scheduled to stand trial on July 16. Instead, DiBiase will face a jury trial on January 7, 2025.
What Has the DiBiase Family Said?
Ted DiBiase Jr. has pled not guilty to all charges against him and was released on an unsecured $10,000 bond. When asked for comment when leaving the court, he told WAPT-TV “Jesus loves you.”
Ted Sr., who reportedly received a $250,000 check from the Family Resource Center in fraudulent funds, has hit out at the case. The WWE Hall of Famer said in June 2023 that the case is “garbage” and that his family is being made into a “scapegoat.”
What’s Next?
If convicted, Ted Jr. faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy count and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count. He also faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for each count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and for each count of money laundering.
