All TANF funds will go through the RFP process, Blanton said. If youre thinking of altering your workout routine, youre probably looking for new exercises and equipment to help you reach your fitness goals. Look for the "Republish This Story" button underneath each story. That ultimately led to (Wednesday's) arrests," DHS officials said in a statement. White and Anderson did not object to being included in the gag order, agreeing to refrain from discussing Davis criminal culpability. JACKSON, Miss. The funds mostly came from a federal welfare grant program administered by the Mississippi Department of Human Services, and both the head of the nonprofit and the former head of the MDHS have been charged with and pleaded not guilty to embezzlement and fraud for their roles in the scheme. That ultimately led to (Wednesday's) arrests," DHS officials said in a statement. Logan Reeves, a spokesman for the auditor's office, said all the arrests were made Wednesday. Brett DiBiase pleads guilty in human services embezzlement scheme Keisha Rowe Mississippi Clarion Ledger 0:00 2:16 Brett DiBiase, a former deputy administrator for the Mississippi Department. Mississippi welfare scheme: Former state official pleads guilty in In a statement, the Department of Human Services said it had self-reported the information that initiated this investigation to the governors office in June 2019. New described issues with their partner, Victory Sports Foundation owned by former football player Paul Lacoste, who was paid to conduct a boot camp-style fitness program, often attended by professionals and lawmakers. Favre declined to be interviewed by Mississippi Today and could not be reached for comment by Forbes, and in 2020 tweeted that he love[s] Mississippi and I would never knowingly do anything to take away from those that need it most., Hey brother [his wife] Deanna and [I] still owe 1.1 million on Vball, Favre purportedly texted John Davis, the former head of the Mississippi Department of Human Services, according to Mississippi Today. But the criminal charges only scratch the surface: Under Davis leadership, independent auditors have found $70 million in improper purchases with federal public assistance dollars. DHS went on camera with WLBT to answer questions about what happened and what theyve changed to prevent the problem from happening again. Special agents from the office of State Auditor Shad White have arrested John Davis, who retired after 28 years with DHS on July 31 . The audit, on the other hand, said that when the auditors office pressed DHS agency officials about the fraud tip, some members of executive management still did not inform auditors of the fraud, or expressed to auditors that the fraud tip was minor and involved an incident of an employee using a business care for personal use, and of an employee sleeping on the job.. There really hadnt been the internal auditing capability, the program integrity ability before that we had at that point that was created, explained DHS Chief Communications Officer Danny Blanton. DiBiase is the son of well-known former pro wrestler Ted DiBiase. The former director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services and several others have been arrested in what the state auditor said is the largest public embezzlement case in state history. Others doing this kind of thing are on notice: this will not be tolerated now, White said in a statement. Follow him on Twitter @gbolognaCL. The total amount of money lost to the schemes has not yet been determined but the loss already exceeds any embezzlement scheme in the records of the auditors office, White said. It was not immediately clear Wednesday night if Mr. Davis or the other five charged had lawyers, and no one answered the phone at the homes of Mr. Davis, Ms. New, Mr. New and Mr. Smith. Jones said as a result of the lost funding, 100 Black Men had to cancel some upcoming afterschool and ACT prep programs, but that they would continue other services, such as administering vaccines and a student field trip to Alabama. Show your support>>. (WJTV) A former employee for the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) was arrested for embezzlement after an investigation by the Investigations Division of MDHS. The February 2020 internal report claimed that an employee of 100 Black Men falsified timesheets to pay people who were not working at the nonprofit and that they were using federal money to buy personal items for staff and their family, according to the audit, which did not name the organization. Oxford University School executive director connected to DHS Something went wrong. Anna has received national recognition for her work, including the 2021 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting, the 2021 Collier Prize for State Government Accountability, the 2021 John Jay/Harry Frank Guggenheim Excellence in Criminal Justice Reporting Award, the 2020 Al Neuharth Innovation in Investigative Journalism Award and the February 2020 Sidney Award for reporting on Mississippis debtors prisons. According to the auditor's office, the classes never took place. We received sign in sheets and some activities that had been conducted., To make sure before actually calling their hand on this, Webb continued, I contacted another licensed social worker with a masters degree who had been employed by them under our Families First grant. MDHS officials say former director John Davis created an environment of All rights reserved. Brett DiBiase was a former professional wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment,who later worked at DHS as the deputy director of transformational change, according to his LinkedIn page. All rights reserved. The audit released less than a year later said that according to its budget, Victory Sports used the nearly $1.4 million welfare subgrant to pay for staff and coaches, a program design fee, equipment, an onsite nurse, marketing and other administration costs, and to purchase a $20,000 trailer and a $70,000 vehicle. Create a recurring donation today to join our mission. She said its unfair that State Auditor Shad White, who initially investigated the scheme, and current Mississippi Department of Human Services Director Bob Anderson are free to make comments about Davis leadership while Davis is bound by a gag order and unable to respond. Start a recurring donation of any amount to further this work and help hold public officials and those in power accountable. Auditor: DHS scandal continued after investigation began Several people were arrested and charged on Feb. 5, 2020. Since then, the subgrantee process has changed and the state plan for TANF reflects those changes. Uncovering the scheme goes back further than you may realize. Nancy New and her son, Zach New, stand accused of using the News nonprofit, MCEC, to pay for DiBiases drug treatment using TANF funds, White said. Attempts to reach the sheriff's office for booking information were not successful. Great Jones Cookware Review: Is It Worth Buying? He had the latitude to unilaterally disperse funds as he felt necessary or wanted to, Blanton confirmed. What is the relationship between Davis and the News? One of the nonprofits, Mississippi Community Education Center, shuttered after law enforcement arrested its owner Nancy New, while officials at the other nonprofit, Family Resource Center of North Mississippi, have not faced criminal charges. Reginald Johnson had been with MDHS since 2007. The funds mostly came from a federal welfare grant program administered by the Mississippi Department of Human Services, and both the head of the nonprofit and the former head of the MDHS have. They were among 15 current and former Boston police officers charged in the alleged overtime scheme involving the evidence control unit. As a nonprofit, your support is what powers our work. Rumor was that some MDHS employees brought the matter to Bryants attention in June, and that Governor Bryant pointed White to the problem. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds are part of a lawsuit filed against 38 people or companies that seeks to recover millions in federal funds. The defendants used a variety of business entities and schemes to defraud the taxpayers, investigators said. Davis and Smith created documents and arranged payment knowing DiBiase was not performing the work he was hired to perform, White said. Toy Truck Drive. Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. Davis attorney argues that when White and Anderson have discussed the case with the media, they have focused solely on Davis actions and not the several other employees who approved various purchases or the agency policies that he argues sanctioned Davis conduct. Davis is indicted along with Nancy New, her son Zach New, Anne McGrew, Latimer Smith and Brett DiBiase. Former Mississippi DHS Accountant Will Testify In Embezzlement Case He had the latitude to unilaterally disperse funds as he felt necessary or wanted to, Blanton confirmed. The indictments, which were returned by a Hinds County grand jury, include a range of violations involving fraud and embezzlement, White said in a news release. Advertise with Us. We believe that an informed Mississippi is a better Mississippi. And at that point we did, Blanton said. But fast forward to that afternoon session and my cell phone began to vibrate. Their own outcome reports that they sent the state each month, which were meant to show how many people they served, contained nonsensical figures, Mississippi Today first reported. We confirmed that it was John Davis who was making those approvals on the money. Mississippi Community Education Center has also failed to turn over documents the agency needs to complete its forensic audit or conduct a full grant closeout the departments process for ensuring the nonprofit complied with grant requirements and spent the funds properly. State Auditor Shad White said in a statement released Sunday, Tomorrow morning I am heading to FBI offices where my agents and I will brief them on the DHS scheme and make all the evidence we have gathered available. Transparency: Is Mississippi spending too much or not enough money on childrens programs? 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