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Jury Acquits Ted DiBiase Jr. on All Counts in Mississippi Welfare Case

The not-guilty verdict concludes the only jury trial in Mississippi’s welfare scandal, which has seen other figures plead guilty.

Overview

  • Jurors deliberated for roughly four hours Friday before clearing DiBiase of 13 charges that included conspiracy, wire fraud, theft and money laundering.
  • Prosecutors said his companies received about $2.9 million via sham contracts funded by TANF and TEFAP, alleging spending on personal items such as a lakeside home.
  • Defense attorneys argued DiBiase performed contracted work and cast former human services director John Davis as the driving force behind the scheme.
  • The acquittal ends DiBiase’s criminal exposure in the case and lifts his bond conditions, and he publicly thanked his legal team and expressed relief.
  • The broader investigation has documented about $77 million in misspent TANF funds, led to multiple guilty pleas, and spawned civil suits that name Brett Favre and members of the DiBiase family.