Federal charges have been filed against five individuals in connection with an attempted bribery of a juror to influence a trial involving a $250 million fraud scheme related to a federally funded child nutrition program. The US attorney in Minnesota made the announcement during a news conference on Wednesday.
The juror, known as 'Juror 52,' promptly contacted 911 after receiving a gift bag containing $120,000 in cash at her doorstep. The incident was reported to the authorities by FBI Special Agent Travis Wilmer in a filed affidavit.
Three of the accused individuals, Abdimajid Nur, Abdiaziz Farah, and Said Farah, were involved in the fraud trial associated with Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit organization accused of siphoning nearly $250 million from federal child nutrition programs. Juror 52, who was not implicated in any wrongdoing, was replaced with an alternate juror following the incident.
The court documents revealed that Juror 52 was targeted due to being the youngest and the only juror of color. The alleged bribery attempt included a document with instructions and arguments for the juror to influence other jurors based on claims of prejudice by the government related to the defendants' immigration status and race.
The accused individuals face charges including bribery of a juror, conspiracy to bribe a juror, and corruptly influencing a juror. Abdiaziz Farah also faces an obstruction of justice charge for attempting to erase data from his phone.
Surveillance videos recovered from the defendants' phones showed the money being delivered to Juror 52's residence. Additionally, a search warrant executed at Abdiaziz Farah's home uncovered a list of jurors' names concealed inside a water bottle.
US Attorney Andrew Luger described the incident as a 'chilling attack on our system of justice' and emphasized the sophistication and intentionality of the plot. Despite the elaborate scheme, Juror 52 did not succumb to the bribery attempt, thwarting the defendants' efforts.
The Farah brothers are scheduled for initial court appearances, while Ladan Ali is expected to surrender later this week, and Abdimajid Nur is set to appear in court next week.
