Federal authorities are investigating after a juror in a federal trial over an alleged pandemic relief fraud scheme told police she was given $120,000 cash in an attempted bribe to acquit the defendants, according to court documents.
Seven people are on trial in connection with what federal prosecutors called the largest pandemic relief fraud scheme to date.
They are accused of taking part in a $250 million fraud scheme through the Minnesota nonprofit Feeding Our Future that allegedly exploited funds from a federal child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic to purchase big-ticket items like luxury cars and houses.
The cash in the alleged bribery attempt was delivered on Sunday, a day before closing arguments in the trial in Minneapolis federal court were set to conclude, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in connection with the case.
A woman went to the home of the juror — identified in court filings as Juror #52 — shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday, according to the affidavit. Juror #52 was not home at the time but a relative answered the door. The woman “handed a gift bag to the relative and said it was a present for Juror #52,” using the juror’s first name, the affidavit stated.
“The woman told the relative to tell Juror #52 to say not guilty tomorrow and there would be more of that present tomorrow,” the affidavit stated.
