Explainer: Brett Favre, other sports figures in Mississippi welfare fraud case
Mississippi’s largest public corruption case, in which tens of millions of dollars earmarked for needy families was misspent, involves a number of sports figures with ties to the state — including NFL royalty Brett Favre and a famous former pro wrestler. At the center, though, is the former head of the state’s Department of Human Services, John Davis, who pleaded guilty on Sept. 22 to federal counts of conspiracy and theft and state counts of conspiracy and fraud against the government. Davis has agreed to testify against others in the case. Other people who have pleaded guilty to state charges include a mother and son who ran a nonprofit and an education company.
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Here are the sports figures named in a civil lawsuit, which was filed on May 9.[/size]
Brett Favre
The Hall of Famer, legendary Green Bay Packers quarterback, 1997 Super Bowl winner and University of Southern Mississippi alumnus is one of the celebrity centerpieces of the scandal.
Ted DiBiase Sr. and sons Teddy and Brett
Ted DiBiase Sr. (the Million Dollar Man) was a fixture in pro wresting in the 1980s and ’90s with his gleaming, custom-made belt and “everybody has a price” catchphrase. - His son Teddy, who was a WWE wrestler in the 2000s and 2010s. - Brett DiBiase also lives in the state and owns Restore 2 LLC.
Marcus Dupree
Dupree was widely recruited as a high school running back in Mississippi in the early 1980s, ended up going to Oklahoma and was heralded as a possible Heisman contender, but left midway through his sophomore season and graduated from Southern Miss.
Paul Lacoste
Lacoste was a linebacker at Mississippi State in the mid-1990s and played in the Canadian Football League for a year.