Woman leaves bag of $120,000 as bribe with promise of more at juror’s home

Steve Karnowski, Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal authorities successful Minnesota person confiscated cellphones and taken each 7 defendants into custody arsenic investigators effort to find who attempted to bribe a juror pinch a container of rate containing $120,000 to get her to acquit them connected charges of stealing much than $40 cardinal from a programme meant to provender children during nan pandemic.

The lawsuit went to nan assemblage precocious Monday afternoon, aft nan juror, who promptly reported nan attempted bribe to police, was dismissed and replaced pinch an alternate. The incident had further ripple effects earlier deliberations resumed Tuesday — erstwhile different juror was replaced aft a family personnel asked astir nan the attempted bribe.

According to an FBI agent’s affidavit, a female rang nan doorbell astatine nan location of “Juror #52” successful nan Minneapolis suburb of Spring Lake Park precocious Sunday, nan nighttime earlier nan lawsuit went to nan jury. The juror wasn’t home, but a comparative answered nan door. The female handed nan comparative a gift container pinch a curly ribbon and images of flowers and butterflies and said it was a “present” for nan juror.

“The female told nan comparative to show Juror #52 to opportunity not blameworthy tomorrow and location would beryllium much of that coming tomorrow,” nan supplier wrote. “After nan female left, nan comparative looked successful nan gift container and saw it contained a important magnitude of cash.”

The juror called constabulary correct aft she sewage location and gave them nan container of cash. It held $100, $50 and $20 bills totaling astir $120,000. The FBI took nan container from Spring Lake Park constabulary connected Monday greeting and interviewed nan juror.

The female who near nan container knew nan juror’s first name, nan supplier said. Names of nan jurors person not been made public, but nan database of group who had entree to it included prosecutors and defense lawyers —- and nan 7 defendants themselves.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel and attorneys for some sides learned astir nan attempted bribe Monday morning. The judge ordered each 7 defendants to surrender their cellphones astatine nan petition of nan authorities truthful that investigators could look for evidence. She besides ordered each 7 taken into custody.

“It is highly apt that personification pinch entree to nan juror’s individual accusation was colluding with, astatine a minimum, nan female who delivered nan $120,000 bribe,” nan FBI supplier wrote, noting that nan alleged fraud conspiracy astatine nan bosom of nan proceedings progressive physics communications, including matter messages and emails.

Before nan lawsuit went to nan assemblage precocious Monday afternoon, Brasel ordered them sequestered for deliberations. When 1 of them called location to opportunity she’d been sequestered, according to KARE-TV and KSTP-TV, a family personnel asked, “Is it because of nan bribe?” The judge replaced that juror pinch an alternate, too.

Anyone progressive successful nan attempted bribe could look national charges of bribery of a juror and influencing a juror, pinch a maximum imaginable punishment of 15 years successful prison.

Minneapolis FBI spokesperson Diana Freedman said Tuesday that she could not supply accusation astir nan ongoing investigation.

According to nan Star Tribune, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson told nan tribunal Monday: “This is wholly beyond nan pale. This is outrageous behavior. This is worldly that happens successful mob movies.” Defense lawyer Andrew Birrell called it “a troubling and upsetting accusation,” according to nan newspaper.

The 7 were nan first of 70 defendants to spell connected proceedings successful what national prosecutors person called 1 of nan largest COVID-19-related fraud cases successful nan country. They’ve described it arsenic a monolithic strategy to utilization lax rules during nan pandemic and bargain from a programme that was meant to supply meals to children successful Minnesota.

Prosecutors person said nan 7 collectively stole complete $40 cardinal successful a conspiracy that costs taxpayers $250 million. At nan halfway of nan alleged crippled was a group called Feeding Our Future. Prosecutors opportunity conscionable a fraction of nan money went to provender low-income kids, and that nan remainder was spent connected luxury cars, jewelry, recreation and property. Federal authorities opportunity they person recovered astir $50 million.

Eighteen different defendants person already pleaded guilty, while nan remainder are awaiting trial. Among them is Aimee Bock, nan laminitis of Feeding our Future. She has maintained her innocence, saying she ne'er stole and saw nary grounds of fraud among her subcontractors.

The defendants are: Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, Mohamed Jama Ismail, Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, Said Shafii Farah, Abdiwahab Maalim Aftin, Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff and Hayat Mohamed Nur. The charges against them see ligament fraud and money laundering. Shariff was nan only suspect to attest and nan only 1 to telephone witnesses connected his behalf.

The nutrient assistance came from nan U.S. Department of Agriculture and was administered by nan state. Nonprofits and different partners nether nan programme were expected to service meals to kids. Defendants allegedly produced invoices for meals that were ne'er served, ran ammunition companies, laundered money, indulged successful passport fraud, and accepted kickbacks.

An Associated Press study published past June documented really thieves crossed nan state plundered billions successful national COVID-19 alleviation dollars. Fraudsters perchance stole much than $280 billion, while different $123 cardinal was wasted aliases misspent. Combined, nan nonaccomplishment represented 10% of nan $4.3 trillion nan authorities disbursed successful COVID alleviation by past fall. Nearly 3,200 defendants person been charged, according to nan U.S. Justice Department. About $1.4 cardinal successful stolen pandemic assistance has been seized.