Michael Droese, a former WWE wrestler known as Duke “The Dumpster” Droese during his wrestling career from 1994 to 1996, has been indicted by a Tennessee grand jury. The indictment comes after allegations that Droese attempted to purchase child pornography in 2024. He is charged with one count of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, a class D felony.
The case against Droese intensified when it was discovered that he intended to acquire child sexual assault material. Chris Stanford, the District Attorney General of the 31st Judicial District in Tennessee, clarified that the act of buying such material is deemed an aggravated crime. This is due to the fact that the money used to purchase the material aids in the profitability of criminal organizations that manufacture and distribute it worldwide.
The accusations against Droese came to light when his attempt to buy child pornography from the dark web using his Coinbase account was detected and subsequently terminated by the company on April 21, 2024. Coinbase then informed the FBI, which relayed the information to the Warren County Sheriff’s Department. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was promptly involved to aid with the local investigation.
In May 2025, a grand jury issued an indictment, and Droese voluntarily surrendered to the Warren County Sheriff’s Department. After posting a $10,000 bond, he was released. Droese is set to appear in Warren County Circuit Court on May 28 for an arraignment hearing. If found guilty, he could face a sentence of two to four years.
At the time of the indictment, Droese was working as a DUI coordinator for the 31st Judicial District Adult Recovery Court Program, also known as the “Drug Court.” He had been involved with the program in various capacities for several years. Stanford confirmed that Droese did not work with children during his time with the program and that he has been immediately dismissed from his position.
After retiring from his wrestling career, Droese became an elementary school teacher for students with learning disabilities in Tennessee. He also coached high school athletes. However, in 2013, he resigned from his teaching job after selling oxycodone to an undercover agent, which led to a one-month jail sentence.
Droese was a prominent figure in the wrestling world during the early ’90s. He had significant rivalries with Jerry “The King” Lawler and a young Paul “Triple H” Levesque, who is now WWE’s chief content officer. Droese left WWE in 1996 but continued to perform in smaller promotions around the world intermittently.