Staff Reports
In the middle of a Minnesota trial dealing with possible fraud and criminal acts, shocking claims of trying to influence the jury have come out.
A person serving on the jury listening to evidence about alleged pandemic fraud said they were offered $120,000 to sway their decision. This caused officials to search one of the defendant’s homes.
A Minnesota juror was dismissed from a multimillion-dollar fraud trial after reporting that a woman dropped a bag of $120,000 cash at her home over the weekend with a note urging her to acquit.https://t.co/nhDJRXGYjl
— Denver7 News (@DenverChannel) June 4, 2024
Allegations of bribery
The trial focused on fraud totaling $40 million, and two jurors had to be replaced because someone apparently tried to bribe them to vote not guilty.
The first juror who came forward said they were approached with a financial bribe right before the deliberations were set to begin.
Someone showed up at her house in Spring Lake Park while she was away, carrying a bag of money and leaving it with a family member who was there. The person mentioned the juror by name and said there would be more money the next day if they voted not guilty.
After reporting the incident to authorities and handing over the money, the juror was removed from the case, along with another juror who found out about the attempted bribe from a family member.
Conclusion of the fraud case
The trial involved a scheme related to COVID-19 relief that involved about 70 people linked to the Feeding Our Future nonprofit.
The nonprofit took part in the Federal Child Nutrition Program but allegedly got others to start sites across Minnesota to give out free meals. Prosecutors claim the defendants misused the program’s funds for personal expenses like property and expensive cars.
The charges were described as a huge scheme by U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger, saying the defendants put their greed over helping children in need during the pandemic.
What happens next?
Following the bribery claim, the FBI searched the home of one of the defendants, Abdiaziz Farah, and the judge ordered all seven people on trial to hand over their phones and be detained.
Although none of the defendants have been charged with the bribery claims yet, the raid at Farah’s home could lead to new developments very soon.
Conservative Opinion: This shocking instance of attempting to bribe jurors shows the lengths some individuals will go to manipulate the justice system for their benefit. It is disgraceful that these defendants would allegedly misuse funds meant to help children in need during a crisis. The swift actions taken by authorities are essential to maintaining the integrity of the legal process and ensuring justice is served.
