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John BarrESPN.com
Marcus Dupree, who rose to fame in Mississippi and beyond after a brief but impressive football career became the subject of an ESPN documentary, is speaking out about his alleged role he was in a widespread welfare fraud case that also got entangled with NFL Walk of Fame quarterback Brett. Favre and dozens of others.
A lawsuit in May filed by the Mississippi Department of Human Services alleges Dupree was illegally paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal benefits to the state’s most needy families. On Wednesday, Dupree denied wrongdoing in an interview with ESPN.
“I don’t appreciate being cornered into something like I took the money,” Dupree said. “I worked too hard on my reputation to do the right thing and be the right person, and I didn’t like what was happening.”
Dupree, 58, grew up in Philadelphia, Mississippi, where his remarkable performances as a high school senior made him the most sought-after soccer player in the country. Dupree stood out during the freshman season at the University of Oklahoma in 1982, but his career was ultimately hampered by injury. His football journey was described in a 2010 ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, “The Best That Never Was.”
In the days following the competition, Dupree maintained her status as a local celebrity in her state, frequently appearing at public events or events organized through her foundation.
But his name did not appear in the national media with any frequency until the results of the state audit in Mississippi were made public and a lawsuit was subsequently filed by the state in May against Dupree, his foundation and dozens of other defendants.
According to the lawsuit, between August 2017 and September 2019, Dupree was paid $371,000 from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) fund.
A Mississippi Department of Human Services initiative called Families First for Mississippi, run by two nonprofits, illegally transferred federal benefit money to Dupree, according to the lawsuit. , in exchange for his work as a “celebrity endorser” and “motivational speaker”.
An investigation by Mississippi Today is the first to reveal that nonprofits that paid Dupree and others wrongly spent or stole at least $77 million in welfare funds in a lawsuit. The case is considered the worst corruption in the history of the state.
Dupree told ESPN he was “shocked” to learn that Nancy New, the head of one of the nonprofits, the Mississippi Community Education Center, pleaded guilty to 13 counts of bribery, fraud, and fraud. cheat. Dupree said he didn’t know the money New used to pay him came from embezzled welfare funds.
According to a 2019 state audit, Dupree was in part paid for “horse-assisted learning,” which Mississippi’s state auditor Shad White told ESPN is meant to “teach every person.” horseman.”
White said his office has found “limited evidence” that Dupree or anyone else has ever provided those kinds of services to the poor.
But Dupree insists he worked as a youth counselor at his 15-acre horse ranch in Flora, Mississippi.
“I guide the kids in riding by being responsible for clearing the stalls, and if you understand that, I’ll let you ride. Most parents just want them by my side. I’m very passionate. passionate about what we did, and for the state that is talking about, “Oh, that didn’t happen,” yes, it happened,” Dupree said.
Dupree said he couldn’t pinpoint the number of times he mentored teenagers at his horse ranch, but he said over a period of about two years he was paid by the state, he also had appeared 20 to 30 times as liaison for First Families, traveling Mississippi to give prison and school talks and record radio commercials.
“I’ve been all over the states. I signed the contract and I did my job,” Dupree said.
“I’m getting caught up in whatever Brett Favre and the Governor have happened to. I didn’t even know about it, nothing. I was shocked to hear that. I couldn’t wait until we were. in court. I don’t. I don’t know what Brett did. I can only speak for Marcus.”
Marcus Dupree on allegations of fraud
Dupree provided ESPN with several photos of what appeared to be teenage boys, whom he said he mentored at his barn in Flora, as well as photos from numerous public appearances they.
“If Mr Dupree wanted to argue that the amount he was paid was reasonable for the number of speeches given and could present evidence of the speeches, he would be able to make that argument in a court of law. “, said White.
On April 13, 2018, Dupree’s foundation acquired the horse ranch and mansion in Flora where Dupree lives for $855,000. According to real estate website Zillow, this 4,100-square-foot five-bedroom home is valued at just over $1 million.
According to an audit conducted by the White office, $171,000 in TANF money was used as a down payment for Dupree’s home and surrounding property.
White told ESPN such purchases “won’t be allowed because of the ban on real estate purchases with TANF funds.” He also noted the “irrationality” of using federal welfare money, intended for job training and assistance to needy families, to help buy a five-bedroom house and a horse ranch. for an employee contracted by the state.
According to the state audit, the nonprofit that transferred the money to Dupree went so far as to “guarantee the accommodation through the bank with a six-year lease from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2024 “. Monthly lease payments for the property totaled $9,500, the audit said.
Dupree said he has no intention of returning the money to the state, as White’s office has requested. “I have a lawyer, and I’m just waiting to see how things play out,” Dupree said.
In October 2021, Dupree’s attorney, J. Matthew Eichelberger, sent a harsh letter to White.
“Mr. Dupree nor his organization will make any payments in response to your request. Make no mistake: Mr. Dupree earned what he was paid for and he never got it. There is no reason to believe that money was improperly spent by public officials,” wrote Eichelberger.
So far, six people have been indicted in the pending welfare fraud case. Five people pleaded guilty.
Brett Favre is not among those facing criminal charges, but, like Dupree, he remains a defendant in Mississippi’s ongoing civil lawsuit in May. Text messages show he pressured Phil Bryant, a former Mississippi governor, to get $5 million in funds to help build a new volleyball center at his alma mater, University South Mississippi, where his daughter plays the sport. Favre has denied wrongdoing.
Dupree said the negative press regarding Favre in recent months has damaged his own reputation.
“I’m getting caught up in whatever Brett Favre and the governor have happened. I didn’t even know about it, nothing. I was shocked to hear that. I couldn’t wait until we had. in court. I don’t. I don’t know what Brett did. I can only speak for Marcus.”
