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AEW just released a new sit-down interview with Renee Paquette talking with FTR, including Cash Wheeler addressing his arrest in Florida (for charges that were later dismissed) last year for the first time:
After joking that he wasn't going to jail, Wheeler called it a "rough patch." He said there was a point of time where he couldn't think about life after May of this year because he couldn't look past the court date. He told his lawyers that he wouldn't take a plea deal or plead guilty to any charge "whatsoever." He said he wasn't guilty and wasn't going to take a plea. That meant that he would have to face the full repercussions if he was found guilty. He said he didn't know for sure what he could have faced, but the maximum for the charge was five years in prison.
Wheeler said that he wouldn't take even a guilty plea on a smaller charge because he knew it meant his career and AEW went away. He said that he wasn't even aware of the charge until a week later when he learned about the arrest warrant and that the authorities didn't have any video or pictures or even a witness, just but one person's statement.
Dax Harwood noted that Cash considered retiring so that it wouldn't hurt Dax's career and Dax had to talk him out of retirement.
Wheeler said he didn't know which match would be his last during that period but that AEW was the only escape that he had from the situation and that he paid to take a lie detector test to show his innocence, which he kept private to himself at the time. He noted it was an hours-long process where he was asked similar questions over and over. Wheeler said that he did everything he could to prove to the people that believed in him that he wasn't guilty. Wheeler told Harwood and AEW's legal team immediately as soon as he learned but didn't tell his family until his arranged to turn himself in, which took weeks because he couldn't get in contact with the authorities involved for "weeks."
Wheeler was arrested in August 2023 after a warrant for his arrest was filed on 7/28/23. The prosecution had claimed that during a July 2023 incident leading to Wheeler's arrest was "believed to be a road rage incident" and that during that incident, Wheeler allegedly "flashed a gun" at the other party. During his arraignment in summer 2023, Wheeler's attorney stated that he did not know the other party. The word victims, as in plural, had been used during the proceedings and Wheeler plead not guilty.
Orange County in Florida released an incident report dated 7/27/23. Cpl. Mitchell Bowhay wrote the following in the report:
"On July 27, 2023, at 0959 I, Officer M. Bowhay #19932, responded to [REDACTED] in reference to an aggravated assault with a firearm call. Upon my arrival I spoke to the victim, Daniel Matta, who provided me with a sworn written/verbal statement that said the following: Matta stated he was driving west on Interstate 4 north of Exit 83. He noticed a Jeep Gladiator weaving in and out of traffic honking its horn, so he moved over to the far-right lane to let the Jeep pass. Matta said the Jeep took the right shoulder to drive around him on the passenger side of his vehicle. Matta looked over and noticed a white male with a beard pointing a black semi-automatic handgun out of the driver's window at him with a strong stare. Matta said he feared for his life at this time. Matta stated he slowed down to get out of the way of the firearm and ended up behind the suspect vehicle at this time.
At this time both were committed to exit 83 (Ivanhoe Blvd). Matta took pictures of the Jeep as it turned right onto College Park Drive and began to drive reckless. Matta said the Jeep beared Florida tag [REDACTED]. After taking the picture, Matta said he called 911 and gave the vehicle information to dispatch the details of what occurred. He explained he could not be late for work and asked an officer to meet him at his work [REDACTED].
I created a photo line-up using ELVIS (a database used by law enforcement for investigative purposes). Elvis selected five random photos based on the suspect's Florida driver's license picture Page 1 of 2 and put them in a randomized order with the suspect being the sixth picture. Officer Blinn #34211 met with Matta and presented him with the photo lineup instructions and the photo lineup. Matta quickly selected the correct picture, photo #2, of the suspect, later identified as, Daniel M. Wheeler, W/M D.O.B 5/17/1987 with 100% certainty. (See Officer Blinn's supplement for more details.) Based on Mattas sworn statement and the positive photo lineup identification, probable cause exist to charge Wheeler with, aggravated assault with a firearm violation of F.S.S. 784.021(1)(A)-1."
Note: PWInsider.com has chosen to redact several personal addresses as well as Wheeler's license plate number.
Months later, Prosecutors Daniel "Cash" Wheeler filed "Nolle Prosequi" in relation to the charges. The Latin phrase is used in court records as a legal notice that the Prosecution in a legal case has opted to drop and abandon the case.
Under Florida law, a conviction for aggravated assault with a firearm could have lead to up to five years' imprisonment, five years' probation and a $5,000 fine.
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