MINNEAPOLIS — A massive federal fraud case in Minneapolis has taken a twist that prosecutors said “happens in mob movies.”
A bag of cash — $120,000 worth — was dropped at the home of a juror who had been seated to hear a case of pandemic-era fraud, The Associated Press reported. She said she was offered more cash if she would vote to acquit seven people charged with stealing COVID-relief funds.
The seven on trial are accused of taking more than $40 million in funds that had been earmarked to feed children during the pandemic. In total, 70 people are facing charges in a case that cost taxpayers $250 million, making it one of the country’s largest pandemic-related fraud cases.
So far, 18 people have pleaded guilty, with the government recovering $50 million, the AP reported.
Prosecutors said that instead of feeding kids who were considered low-income, most of the money went to luxury cars, jewelry, travel and property.
The defense claims that the issues came from record-keeping mistakes as their clients tried to abide by rules that kept changing. Attorneys also said that their clients distributed food to children, but that the alleged kickbacks were real payments and are typical of East African culture, in which payments are made to family and friends, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The juror who reported having been offered cash in exchange for her vote to acquit has been dismissed from sitting on the case, which started in April, the AP reported. The 23-year-old called police and turned the money in to the FBI, telling authorities that a woman had dropped it off with her father-in-law on Sunday with a promise for another bag of money if she voted to acquit, the Star Tribune reported.
A search warrant said the woman who dropped off the money used the juror’s first name, which hasn’t been released to the public, according to the newspaper. She was only identified as Juror #52. Attorneys and the defendants did see a list of the jurors’ names and their addresses when potential jurors were called for duty.
The defense told the judge on Monday that the alleged payoff is “a troubling and upsetting accusation,” the AP reported.
The judge overseeing the case questioned all of the jurors and alternates, and none said they had been contacted by anyone in the case. Despite that, the judge decided to sequester the jury for the rest of the trial. Closing arguments in the case were presented on Monday.
The defendants, who have not been in custody since 2023, are now detained until an investigation can find out who leaked the list of jurors.
If charged and found guilty, the woman who left the money can receive up to 10 years in prison, the Star Tribune reported.
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