Former WWE Wrestler Indicted for Attempted Child Exploitation

Former professional wrestler Michael Droese, best known for his time in WWE as Duke “The Dumpster” Droese, has been indicted in Tennessee on a charge of attempted aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor.

A Warren County grand jury indicted Droese on May 2, 2025. Authorities say that on April 21, 2024, Droese attempted to purchase child sexual abuse material on the dark web using cryptocurrency. The transaction was flagged by the digital currency exchange Coinbase, which alerted the FBI. The tip was passed to the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, prompting an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Following the indictment, Droese turned himself in to the Warren County Sheriff’s Department and was released after posting a $10,000 bond. An arraignment is scheduled for May 28.

At the time, Droese was employed as the DUI Coordinator for the 31st Judicial District Adult Recovery Court Program in Tennessee. He was terminated from the position following the indictment.

This is not Droese’s first legal trouble. In September 2013, while working as a special education teacher in McMinnville, Tennessee, he was indicted on three counts of delivering a controlled substance after selling oxycodone and buprenorphine to an undercover informant. He resigned from his teaching job and was sentenced to a three-year term, with 30 days to be served in jail.

Droese rose to prominence in the mid-1990s in the World Wrestling Federation, where he portrayed a garbage man character. He retired from wrestling in 2023.

Sources: PWMania, New York Post, Wrestling Inc.