Former WWE star Duke ‘The Dumpster’ Droese has been indicted after allegedly trying to buy child pornography on the dark web.
The former wrestler, real name Michael Droese, was indicted by a grand jury in Warren County, Tennessee for attempted aggravated sexual exploitation of children.
According to prosecutors, Droese used a Coinbase account to try and buy the sickening material online.
His alleged act was flagged by the company that then sent a tip to the FBI, with the Warren County Sheriff’s Department filing charges against the former wrestler on March 29.
Warren County District Attorney General Chris Stanford said the charges are deemed ‘attempted’ because Coinbase rejected his attempts to purchase the child pornography.
At the time of his arrest, Droese was working as a DUI Coordinator for the 31st Judicial District Adult Recovery Court Program, officials said.
He was fired after the grand jury returned its verdict, and Stanford said he had worked for the courts system in various capacities in recent years but never in one that mandated contact with children.
Droese shot to fame in the mid-1990s as a hulking 300lb performer, best known for using a garbage can in his matches under nicknames such as ‘The Garbage Man.’
Former WWE star Duke ‘The Dumpster’ Droese has been indicted after allegedly trying to buy child pornography on the dark web
The former wrestler, real name Michael Droese, was indicted by a grand jury in Warren County, Tennessee for attempted aggravated sexual exploitation of children
Droese surrendered peacefully to law enforcement when he was arrested, Stanford said.
The former wrestling star was released on a $10,000 bond after he was booked, and his next court date is set for May 28.
He performed in the WWE, then known as the WWF, from 1994 to 1996 and became a fan favorite with his garbage can gimmick.
Droese left after two years due to the toll the intense industry was having on his body, but he returned in 2001 for a special WrestleMania performance against The Iron Sheik.
He has also faced legal issues in the past, including an indictment in September 2013 on three counts of delivery of a controlled substance.
Droese performed in the WWE, then known as the WWF, from 1994 to 1996 and became a fan favorite with his garbage can gimmick under nicknames including ‘The Garbage Man’
In that case, he sold drugs including oxycodone to an undercover police informant, and he was handed a three-year prison sentence, of which he served 30 days, per the Southern Standard.
He had been working as a special education teacher in Tennessee at the time, and resigned after that arrest over a decade ago.
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