Ted DiBiase Jr. Found Not Guilty In Federal Fraud Trial

Ted DiBiase Jr. has been found not guilty in his federal trial on charges of welfare fraud and more. PWInsider reports that the former WWE star was found not guilty on Friday by a jury on 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. The decision from the jury came down on Friday afternoon in Jackson, Mississippi.

DiBiase had been charged in April of 2023 on allegations that he fraudulently obtained funs from programs including The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and misappropriated the money for personal use. The matter, which saw a number of people plead guilty, was the largest embezzlement scandal in Mississippi history.

The trial ran 20 weeks and saw DiBiase accused of appropriating over $2.9 million from two nonprofits over two years to personal use including a $1.4 million home in Madison County, a $55,000 pontoon boat, a $34,000 Kubota tractor, and a $40,000 truck, among other purchases. DiBiase Jr.’s defense attorneys argue that he did not steal any money and earned it all, performing legitimate services under the contracts which they sat did not specify how the money could be spent nor require him to submit reports.

The trial ran for several weeks and included over 20 witnesses. DiBiase attempted to have a mistrial declared at several times and was shot down each time.

The jury deliberated for four hours before returning a not guilty verdict on all charges. State auditor Shad White said in a 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.”