A federal juror was dismissed from responsibility on Monday after reporting {that a} lady dropped a bag of $120,000 in money at her residence – and provided her extra money if she would vote to acquit seven folks charged with stealing greater than $40m from a program meant to feed youngsters through the pandemic.
“That is utterly past the pale,” mentioned Joseph Thompson, assistant US legal professional, in courtroom on Monday. “That is outrageous conduct. That is stuff that occurs in mob films.”
The seven defendants in query are the primary of 70 anticipated to go to trial in a conspiracy that price taxpayers $250m. Eighteen others have pleaded responsible, and authorities mentioned they recovered about $50m in one of many nation’s largest pandemic-related fraud instances. Prosecutors say only a fraction of the cash went to feed low-income youngsters, whereas the remaining was spent on luxurious automobiles, jewellery, journey and property.
Through the trial that started in April, protection attorneys questioned the standard of the FBI’s investigation and steered that this is perhaps extra of a case of record-keeping issues than fraud as these defendants sought to maintain up with quickly altering guidelines for the meals support program.
These seven preliminary defendants had been affiliated with a restaurant that participated within the meals support program. These nonetheless awaiting trial embody Feeding our Future’s founder Aimee Bock, who has pleaded not responsible and denied any wrongdoing.
The 23-year-old juror mentioned she instantly turned over the bag of money to police. She mentioned a girl left it along with her father-in-law on Sunday with the message that she would get one other bag of money if she voted to acquit, in response to a report within the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The protection legal professional Andrew Birrell informed 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, the US district decide, Nancy Brasel, questioned the remaining 17 jurors and alternates, and none reported any unauthorized contact. Brasel determined to sequester the jury for the remainder of the continuing as a precaution.
“I don’t do it flippantly,” Brasel mentioned. “However I wish to guarantee a good trial.”
She didn’t resolve instantly whether or not to detain the defendants, however she did order an FBI agent to confiscate the defendants’ telephones.
The help cash got here from the US Division of Agriculture and was administered by the state division of schooling. Non-profits and different companions below this system had been purported to serve meals to youngsters.
Two of the teams concerned, Feeding Our Future and Companions in Diet, had been small non-profits earlier than the pandemic, however in 2021 they disbursed about $200m every. Prosecutors allege they produced invoices for meals that had been by no means served, ran shell corporations, laundered cash, indulged in passport fraud and accepted kickbacks.
