Juror in fraud trial reports receiving $120,000 bag and promise of more if she acquits

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A juror was dismissed Monday after reports that a woman left a bag of $120,000 in cash at her home and offered her more money if she voted to acquit seven people. accused of theft more than $40 million from a program to feed children during the pandemic.

“This is completely out of character,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said in court Monday. “This is scandalous behavior. That’s what happens in mafia movies.

These seven defendants are the first of 70 defendants expected to go to trial in connection with a conspiracy that has cost taxpayers $250 million. Eighteen other people pleaded guilty, and authorities said they recovered about $50 million in one of the cases. the largest pandemic-related fraud cases in the country. Prosecutors say only a fraction of the money went to feed low-income children, while the rest was spent on luxury cars, jewelry, trips and real estate.

During the trial that began in April, defense attorneys questioned the quality of the FBI’s investigation and suggested it may have been more a case of record-keeping problems than fraud, as these defendants sought to keep up with the rapidly changing rules of the food assistance program. .

These seven initial defendants were affiliated with a restaurant participating in the food assistance program. Among those still awaiting trial is Aimee Bock, the founder of Feeding our Future, who has pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing.

The 23-year-old juror said she immediately handed the bag full of money to police. She said a woman left it with her father-in-law on Sunday with the message that she would receive another bag of money if she voted to acquit, according to a report in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Defense barrister Andrew Birrell told the judge the bag of cash was “a disturbing and upsetting accusation”.

Before allowing the trial to continue with further closing arguments Monday, U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel questioned the remaining 17 jurors and alternates, and none reported unauthorized contact. Brasel decided to sequester the jury for the remainder of the proceedings as a precaution.

“I don’t do this lightly,” Brasel said. “But I want to guarantee a fair trial.”

She did not immediately decide whether the defendants should be detained, but she ordered an FBI agent to confiscate the defendants’ phones.

The aid money came from the United States Department of Agriculture and was administered by the state Department of Education. Nonprofits and other program partners were supposed to serve meals to the children.

Two of the groups involved, Feeding Our Future and Partners in Nutrition, were small nonprofits before the pandemic, but in 2021 they have paid out about $200 million each. Prosecutors say they produced invoices for meals that were never served, ran shell companies, laundered money, engaged in passport fraud and accepted bribes.