Not Good: Feds Indict Amarillo Native, Former WWE Wrestling Superstar Ted DiBiase, Jr.
I'm a wrestling fan. That much is no secret at all. So I keep up with all the wrestling news. So when I saw the headline with Ted DiBiase, Jr. in it, I immediately went to click and find out what the third-generation member of one of Amarillo's most famed wrestling dynasties was up to.
And well....I think someone is in trouble.
Federal Indictment Unsealed
On Thursday, April 20, a press release from the Department of Justice details the charges levied against Theodore Marvin DiBiase, Jr, now living in Madison, Mississippi.
As per the documents, the 40-year-old Amarillo-born DiBiase, along with others, is alleged to have misappropriated "misappropriating millions of dollars in federal safety-net funds intended for needy families and low-income individuals in Mississippi."
DiBiase and his co-defendants are said to have obtained funds from several federal programs and "misappropriated for their own personal use and benefit".
No, they didn't just apply for the programs and intentionally provide falsified income. The court documents outline how the money was allegedly routed through sham contracts, subgrants, and bunk social programs to seem as if it was going where it needed to go.
DiBiase is said to have used the funds to buy "a vehicle and a boat, and for the down payment on the purchase of a house, among other expenditures."
Charges against Ted DiBiase, Jr.
The 13-count indictment includes:
- Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and to Commit Theft Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds
- Wire Fraud (6 counts)
- Theft Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds (2 counts)
- Money Laundering (4 counts)
Whew. What a mess.
DiBiase Wrestling Legacy in Amarillo
The DiBiase name is legendary among wrestling fans in Amarillo. Like I mentioned before, It's a three-generation name of fame.
Ted DiBiase, Jr., is the grandson of "Iron" Mike DiBiase and Helen Hild, both of whom were professional wrestlers ("Iron" Mike quite literally died in the ring of a heart attack following an intense match in Lubbock in 1969). His father is Ted "Million Dollar Man" DiBiase of WWE fame. His brothers are also former professional wrestlers.
It's a messy state of affairs for this Amarillo son, indeed.