Feds charge 5, including man acquitted at trial, with attempting to bribe Minnesota juror with $120K

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Five people were charged on Wednesday with trying to bribe a juror in one of the country’s largest COVID-19-related fraud cases with a bag of $120,000 in cash, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI announced Wednesday.

The bribe attempt, which U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger called a “chilling attack on our justice system,” brought renewed attention to the trial of seven Minnesota defendants accused of coordinating to steal more than $40 million from a federal program that was supposed to feed children during the coronavirus pandemic. More than $250 million in federal funds were taken overall and only about $50 million has been recovered, authorities say.

Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, Said Shafii Farah, Abdulkarim Shafii Farah and Ladan Mohamed Ali are each charged with one count of conspiracy to bribe a juror, one count of bribery of a juror and one count of corruptly influencing a juror, according to the indictment.

Abdiaziz Shafii Farah is also charged with one count of obstruction of justice.

Abdiaziz Shafii Farah and Abdimajid Mohamed Nur were among five convicted in the fraud trial earlier this month while Said Shafii Farah was acquitted. Abdulkarim Shafii Farah and Ladan Mohamed Ali were not involved.

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