Ex-WWE star faces 45 years in jail for wire fraud as trial due to start in days

Ted DiBiase Jr is set to stand trial in court later this month after he was charged with committing wire fraud — and if found guilty he could be sent away for a long time

A former WWE star could be sent to prison for over 40 years ahead of a trial on charges of wire fraud. It comes as a huge fall from grace from stellar wrestling career.

Ted DiBiase Jr had a huge stint in the wrestling world, growing up under the guidance of fellow WWE legend Ted DiBiase Sr, also known as “The Million Dollar Man”. Bursting onto the scene back in 2008, he made a name for himself with his several storylines in the Legacy.

But now, away from the ring, Ted Jr is now facing another major fight to keep his freedom. The trial of the sports star is set to get underway in just a few days time.

According to ITR Wrestling, Ted’s trial is set to get underway on January 6. The star is facing a slew of different charges for his various alleged offences, including wire fraud and theft from federal funds.

Ted was initially arrested and charged in April of 2023 after he and his family were named in a civil lawsuit to reclaim roughly $24million (£17.8million) that was meant to go to tackling poverty in the US state of Mississippi. The lawsuit had a total of 38 different names attached to it, including NFL legend Brett Favre.

The money, which had been given to Nancy New and her son Zack, was allegedly used by their non-profit organisation to move even more money into other schemes. Then, the US Department of Justice issued a press release which confirmed that Ted DiBiase Jr, had been criminally charged.

He was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds. As well as this, he was also charged with six counts of wire fraud, two counts of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, and four counts of money laundering.

Ted’s alleged role was that he had been using two different companies to receive money from “at least five sham contracts”. Prosecutors say that the money he earned from this helped to “defraud and steal federal funds” from the Mississippi state government.

On top of this, DiBiase Jr is alleged to have used the funds he racked up from these contracts to put a deposit down on a house, as well as buying luxury items such as a car and even a boat; he then allegedly never followed through with his contractual obligations.

Should Ted be convicted on all counts, the wrestling star — who comes from a long lineage of wrestling royalty — could face up to 45 years in prison. On top of this, he could be ordered to pay back millions in damages and fines.

The star first came onto the wrestling scene in 2008, and quickly made a name for himself with his antics both in and out of the ring. He stayed with WWE for five years, before retiring from the corporation in 2013.

Reflecting on his career in 2021, it appeared that Ted had regretted not “owning” his persona in the ring fully. He said the reasoning for this was that the “Million Dollar Champion” character that was crafted for him made him feel like he was living in the shadow of his legendary father, who is in the WWE Hall of Fame.

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