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The arrest of a former WWE Superstar has brought a bit of a halt to some of the upbeat debates from the busiest time of the year for pro wrestling fans. While some are celebrating Hall of Fame inductions and WWE Legends contracts, a certain heavyweight grappler is back in legal trouble, with much worse charges.
Michael Droese is known to wrestling fans as Duke "The Dumpster" Droese. He debuted in 1990 and joined WWE four years later. Droese's biggest feud was against Triple H, but he left WWE in 1996 due to a contract dispute, finishing up that July 7 with a house show win over Leif Cassidy. The California native returned in March 1998 for a dark match win over Paul Diamond and dark loss to Pierre Ouellet, then again in 2001 for WrestleMania X-Seven's Gimmick Battle Royal.
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The Garbage Man was arrested on one count of Attempted Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor on Friday, May 2, in Warren County, Tennessee. The 56-year-old is facing a possible sentence of two-to-four years in prison if convicted of the Class D Felony. His mugshot can be seen below.
Top WWE star punished? More details HERE
Droese's arrest was announced today via press release from Chris Stanford, the 31st Judicial District's Attorney General. Droese was indicted during the May session of the Warren County Grand Jury after what Stanford called "a brief but very effective investigation" by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The retired grappler, who obtained a Master's degree and became a special education teacher after wrestling, allegedly used his Coinbase account to try and purchase child sexual assault material from the Dark Web on April 21.
The failed transaction was flagged and terminated before it could be completed, and the FBI received a tip on the illegal behavior, then contacted the Warren County Sheriff's Department on March 19. Stanford asked the TBI's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to further investigate on March 24, and within weeks, Special Agent Kevin Starr had wrapped his report on the former NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion.
Droese "peacefully submitted himself" to the Sheriff once he learned of the indictment, according to the District Attorney General. The University of Miami graduate was booked in the county jail but released as he immediately posted the $10,000 bail. Droese is scheduled to be arraigned on May 28.
Former WWE star Duke "The Dumpster" Droese fired from job
Longtime pro wrestler Duke "The Dumpster" Droese was working as the new DUI Coordinator for the 31 Judicial District's Adult Recovery Court Program at the time of his recent felony arrest. However, the District Attorney General has announced that Droese was fired when his boss learned of the indictment.
Droese served with the ARC Program for years, commonly known as Drug Court. The indictment press release clarified that he was never given a job that mandated any contact with children.
Droese was previously indicted in September 2013 on three counts of Delivery of a Controlled Substance. He was busted after selling Subutex and Oxycodone to an undercover police informant several months earlier. Droese received a three-year sentence, which included 30 days of incarceration, and he was fined $2,000.
