Ted DiBiase Jr. will have to wait longer for his federal fraud trial to conclude after a judge ordered proceedings to be paused until late February.
According to the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, the trial has been rescheduled to resume on February 23, 2026, following an unexpected issue within the defence team. The delay was triggered when Ted DiBiase Jr.’s lead attorney became ill, prompting his lawyers to request a mistrial on the grounds that they could not properly defend their client without him.
That request was denied in a ruling issued on January 21. The judge determined that the remaining members of the defence team were capable of continuing the case and that restarting the trial was unnecessary. It was also ruled that the current jury would remain in place during the pause in proceedings. Federal prosecutors reportedly agreed with the decision to move forward with the existing jury and legal team rather than beginning again from scratch.
DiBiase Jr. is one of several defendants in what has been described as the largest public corruption and welfare fraud case in Mississippi history. Prosecutors allege that he was involved in a scheme to divert federal funds intended to support vulnerable residents of the state. The money is said to have come from programmes including the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
The government claims that instead of being used to help feed the hungry or assist struggling families, the funds were misappropriated for personal use and luxury spending. DiBiase Jr. has denied wrongdoing.
The former WWE star faces a wide range of serious charges, including one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and theft involving federal programmes, six counts of wire fraud, two counts of theft concerning programmes receiving federal funds, and four counts of money laundering. The number of charges reflects the scope of the alleged scheme and the length of time over which it is said to have operated.
If convicted on all counts, DiBiase Jr. could face decades in prison. The conspiracy charge alone carries a maximum sentence of five years, while each wire fraud count is punishable by up to 20 years. The theft and money laundering charges each carry potential sentences of up to 10 years. While federal sentencing guidelines often result in concurrent terms rather than consecutive ones, the statutory maximums underline the seriousness of the case.
With the trial now paused until late February, the legal saga surrounding the former WWE World Tag Team Champion is set to continue into the spring, with the outcome likely to have long-term consequences for DiBiase Jr.’s future.
How Long Was Ted DiBiase Jr. With WWE?
Ted DiBiase Jr. was under contract with WWE from 2007 until 2013. After debuting on the main roster as part of the DiBiase family storyline alongside his father and Cody Rhodes, he went on to become a two-time WWE World Tag Team Champion and later worked primarily on house shows and Main Event before leaving the company.
His run ended after a series of injuries and creative changes, bringing a six-year stint with WWE to a close. DiBiase Jr. worked a handful of independent dates in 2013 after leaving WWE, and then one date in 2016 and another in 2017 before ending his wrestling career.
