JACKSON, Miss. – AP very poor people. in the US
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants “embezzled” more than $ 20 million from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families poverty alleviation program.
The lawsuit was filed within two weeks after a mother and son who run a nonprofit organization and an educational company in Mississippi pleaded guilty to embezzlement. Nancy New, 69, and Zachary New, 39, agreed to testify against others in a state that Auditor Shad White described as “the most serious corruption case in Mississippi in the last two decades.”
In early 2020, Nancy New, Zachary New, former Mississippi Human Services department chief John Davis and three others were indicted in a federal court, while critics allege that health funds were misused for drug-related activities in Malibu, California. , because. former pro wrestler Brett DiBiase.
DiBiase is a defendant in a lawsuit filed Monday in Hinds County Circuit Court, along with his father and brother who were also veterans, Ted DiBiase Sr. and Ted “Teddy” DiBiase Jr.
Ted DiBiase Sr. he was known as “The Million Dollar Man” while fighting. He is a Christian preacher and inspirational speaker, and ran for Heart of David Ministries Inc., which received $ 1.7 million in medical bills in 2017 and 2018 for sponsorship, advertising and other services, according to the lawsuit.
White last year sought to repay $ 77 million in nonprofits from a number of individuals and groups, including $ 1.1 million donated to Favre, who lives in Mississippi. Favre has not been charged with felony criminal mischief.
White said Favre was paid for the speech but did not appear. Favre repaid the money, but White said in October that Favre still owed $ 228,000 in interest. In a Facebook post when he returned the first $ 500,000, Favre said he was unaware that the money he received came from social grants. He also said his donation has given millions of dollars to poor children in Mississippi and Wisconsin.
Months ago, the accountant’s office filed a lawsuit to recover the money that had been misappropriated by the Mississippi attorney general’s office in order. White said in a statement Monday that he was aware the attorney general’s office would file a lawsuit.
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“I thank the team for donating the suit and I thank the government for taking action to ensure that taxpayers do justice,” White said. “We will continue to work with our government partners – who have been given the opportunity to obtain all our evidence for more than two years – to ensure that this case is fully investigated.”
The lawsuit filed on Monday said Favre was once a senior businessman outside Prevacus, a Florida company trying to manufacture drugs. The suit said that in December 2018, Favre urged Prevacus CEO Jake VanLandingham to ask Nancy New to use social grants to establish the company.
The suit also claimed Favre had participated in Prevacus shares selling his home in January 2019, where VanLandingham, Davis, Nancy New, Zach New and Ted DiBiase Jr. Prevacus and later in its affiliate group PreSolMD Inc.
The suit said the goods were in the names of Nancy New and Zach New and were financially viable for Favre, VanLandingham and the two companies. The lawsuit seeks to recover $ 2.1 million in humanitarian aid that was improperly paid to the two companies in 2019.
The Associated Press on Monday dialed a number listed at Favre Enterprises and the recorder said it was no longer working.
Attorney General Lynn Fitch and Gov. Ms. Reeves said in a joint statement Monday: “Our aim with this suit is to seek justice for the mistrust of the Mississippi people and to recoup the money that was misused.”
Davis was appointed to head the Department of Public Works in 2016 by Gov. Phil Bryant – who, like Reeves, Fitch and White, is a Republican. Davis retired in July 2019 and is awaiting trial on a charge of misuse.
Brett DiBiase pleaded guilty in December 2020 to one count of perjury. He asserted that his confession had been obtained through torture and that his confession had been obtained through torture. He agreed to pay $ 48,000 in restitution and his decision was postponed.
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