At his fraud trial, Ted DiBiase Jr.’s defense team has rested their case and now he awaits his fate.
Dibiase has been accused of stealing millions of dollars which was supposed to be used for social services in Mississippi.
DiBiase Jr. faces a 20 years in prison on each count of wire fraud, 10 years on each count of theft and money laundering and five years for conspiracy. If convicted on all 13 charges he could be spending 120 years in prison.
He faces:
Conspiracy: up to 5 years
Wire fraud (multiple counts): up to 20 years each
Theft of federal funds: up to 10 years each
Money laundering: up to 10 years each
Dibiase Jr. is accused of using some of those funds to purchase a $1.4 million home, a $55,000 pontoon boat, a $34,000 Kubota tractor and a $40,000 truck, AL.com reports.
Dibiase’s team tried to get the case dismissed citing the prosecution hadn’t proved their case but the motion was denied. His lawyers also claimed that Dibiase was using some of money to create an app to help those who were less fortunate, which is true but that app was never completed.
Prosecutors allege that through his co-conspirator, John Davis, the former director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services, was given awarded approximately $3 million from the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
It is claimed that DiBiase’s shell corporations were awarded that money through phony contracts.
Davis has already pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 32 years in prison.
Dibiase’s brother, Brett, also pleaded guilty and now faces five years in prison.
In the case which spans 38 suspects and $24 million of government money misused and mishandled, Dibiase Jr. is the only one who fought the allegations in court.
Ted DiBiase Jr. wrestled in the WWE from 2007 to 2013 as part of the Legacy faction with Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes. He was also the Million Dollar Champion. Dibiase Jr. is the son of WWE legend Ted “Million Dollar Man” Dibiase.
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