Just south of Edinburg sits the border town of Hidalgo and its 6,000-seat State Farm Arena. The multi-purpose arena was recently host to a pro wrestling event in which WWE tag team champion Jey Uso participated.
Afterwards, the high-flying 32-year-old wrestler, whose real name is Joshua Samuel Fatu, was arrested by Hidalgo County Sheriff’s officers for driving while intoxicated.
Along with his twin brother Jimmy Uso, Jey is part of wrestling’s popular wrestling team known as “The Usos.” One of their promotional bits has the brothers using the phrase “Welcome to the Uso Penitentiary” — a phrase many familiar with Texas’s harsh drunk driving laws now believe is a case of life imitating art.
“Joshua Fatu is responsible for his own personal actions,” WWE said in a press release following the arrest.
WWE’s substance abuse policy states that performers are “prohibited from using or consuming alcohol at any time within a twelve hour period prior to any WWE event or WWE scheduled performance.”
Jey’s brother has also had a DWI run in with the law. He was arrested for drunk driving in 2011 and then in 2013 for violating probation.
Clearly, the arrest could put the brothers’ wrestling careers in jeopardy. Even worse for Fatu is the possibility that a conviction on a first DWI offense could mean up to 180 days in jail and loss of his driver’s license for up to a year.
That’s a steep price, even for a wealthy wrestler.
If you face a drunk driving charge, contact an attorney experienced in DWI defense; someone who knows the law and is familiar with mistakes that police officers often commit while making arrests.