Minn. fraud trial juror experiences getting bag of $120K and promise of extra if she’ll acquit

MINNEAPOLIS — A juror was dismissed Monday after reporting {that a} lady dropped a bag of $120,000 in money at her dwelling and supplied her extra money if she would vote to acquit seven folks charged with stealing greater than $40 million from a program meant to feed kids throughout the pandemic.

“That is fully past the pale,” Assistant U.S. Legal professional Joseph Thompson mentioned in courtroom on Monday. “That is outrageous habits. That is stuff that occurs in mob motion pictures.”

These seven are the primary of 70 defendants anticipated to go to trial in a conspiracy that value taxpayers $250 million. Eighteen others have pleaded responsible, and authorities mentioned they recovered about $50 million in one of many nation’s largest pandemic-related fraud circumstances. Prosecutors say only a fraction of the cash went to feed low-income children, whereas the remaining was spent on luxurious automobiles, jewellery, journey and property.

The 23-year-old juror mentioned she instantly turned over the bag of money to police. She mentioned a lady left it along with her father-in-law Sunday with the message that she’d get one other bag of money if she voted to acquit, in accordance with a report within the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Protection legal professional Andrew Birrell instructed the decide that the bag of money is “a troubling and upsetting accusation.”

Earlier than permitting the trial to proceed with extra closing arguments on Monday, U.S. District Choose Nancy Brasel questioned the remaining 17 jurors and alternates, and none reported any unauthorized contact. She did not determine instantly whether or not to sequester the jury or detain the defendants, however she did order an FBI agent to confiscate the defendants’ telephones.

The help cash got here from the U.S. Division of Agriculture and was administered by the state Division of Schooling. Nonprofits and different companions below this system have been presupposed to serve meals to children.

Two of the teams concerned, Feeding Our Future and Companions in Vitamin, have been small nonprofits earlier than the pandemic, however in 2021 they disbursed round $200 million every. Prosecutors allege they produced invoices for meals that have been by no means served, ran shell firms, laundered cash, indulged in passport fraud and accepted kickbacks.