Ted DiBiase Jr. Found Not Guilty Of All Charges In Welfare Fraud Case

Theodore Marvin DiBiase Jr. has been found not guilty of all charges today in a federal court in Jackson, Mississippi, in a case related to the former WWE Superstar's involvement in the Mississippi welfare fraud scandal.

The Mississippi Free Press noted that DiBiase silently wept as a jury acquitted him of all charges. As a result of the not guilty verdict, DiBiase has been released from the conditions of his bond.

DiBiase Jr. had been on trial in Mississippi since January 6, 2026 on charges of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to commit theft concerning programmes receiving federal funds, six counts of wire fraud, two counts of theft concerning programmes receiving federal funds, and four counts of money laundering. DiBiase pleaded not guilty to all charges. Had he been found guilty of all charges, DiBiase faced up to 185 years in prison.

The trial came to an end on Thursday, March 19 when the prosecution and defence delivered their closing remarks. The jury began their deliberations on Friday morning and returned the not guilty verdict after approximately four hours, the Mississippi Clarion Ledger reported.

It was alleged that DiBiase, through two companies that he owned and managed, entered into sham contracts to defraud the state of Mississippi out of around $3 million that was intended for families in need. This included fraudulently obtaining federal funds from the Emergency Food Assistance and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families programmes, with the funds being directed to DiBiase and his companies by Mississippi Department of Human Services Director John Davis between 2017 and 2019. DiBiase's companies were hired to provide leadership outreach services, assess if emergency food assistance was needed, and create programmes to help inner-city youth.

It was alleged that DiBiase received money for work that was never carried out and the former WWE wrestler instead used the funds to make lavish purchases, including buying a $55,000 boat, a $34,000 tractor, a $40,000 truck, and placing a deposit on a $1.4 million house.

The defence argued that it was John Davis who spearheaded the turmoil as he misdirected over $77 million, and DiBiase simply found himself caught up in the dysfunction at the Mississippi Department of Human Services. The defence also stated that DiBiase is a kind businessman who was motivated by a desire to help people. It was also claimed that nobody who testified during the trial could say that DiBiase "wasn't performing" in his role as the former WWE wrestler scheduled training, set up business meetings, and carried out other duties. He accepted the contracts without pushing back on how much he was offered to carry out those services.

DiBiase was arrested in April 2023 and the trial was delayed several times until it finally began in January 2026. During the trial, DiBiase attempted to get the trial dismissed on several occasions, arguing that prosecutors had not presented enough evidence to secure a conviction. DiBiase's request was denied by the judge.

Ted DiBiase Jr. - the son of WWE Hall of Famer 'The Million Dollar Man' Ted DiBiase - was a part of WWE from 2007 until 2013. The two-time WWE Tag Team Champion is remembered for being a part of the Legacy stable with Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes and for allegedly accusing a referee of trying to "f*ck on me" during a six-man tag team match on the June 17, 2011 episode of SmackDown.