Brett DiBiase pleads guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government

WLBT in Jackson, MS reports that former WWE wrestler Brett DiBiase has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the US government. Dibiase, whose real first name is Dale, previously pleaded guilty to two other charges Hinds County Circuit Court two years ago. They’re all related to what became the largest public embezzlement conspiracy in Missouri state history.

DiBiase faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. This is in addition to what the state court sentences him to.

District Attorney Jody Owens said: “I applaud our federal partners for continuing to pursue federal charges for each and every individual responsible for stealing from Mississippi’s most needy and vulnerable citizens. As I have said before, this case is far from over and both the state of Mississippi and the U.S. government will continue to pursue all those involved in this fraud.”

The fraud case involved embezzling millions of dollars from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funding. DiBiase was paid $48,000 through his business Restore2, LLC, after making fraudulent and false claims. He was accused of covering up the payments with fake documents, invoices, books, reports, and ledgers. Former DHS workers created invoices to pay him for teaching drug abuse classes, but he didn’t actually do that. Instead, he was at a “luxury” rehab location in California. He isn’t the only one indicted, as others include former DHS Executive Director John Davis, Nancy New, Zach New, and Ann McGrew.