A juror was dismissed on Monday for a concerning incident involving a substantial amount of cash. The incident involved a woman who allegedly dropped a bag containing $120,000 at her home and made an offer of additional money in exchange for a favorable verdict.
The case in question involves seven individuals who have been charged with stealing over $40 million from a program designed to provide food for children during the pandemic.
“This is absolutely unacceptable,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson stated during the court proceedings on Monday. This behavior is completely unacceptable. This is something that occurs in movies about organized crime.
These seven individuals are among the initial group of 70 defendants who will face trial for their involvement in a conspiracy that resulted in a significant financial loss of $250 million for taxpayers. In one of the largest pandemic-related fraud cases in the nation, authorities have recovered approximately $50 million and eighteen others have pleaded guilty.
According to prosecutors, only a small portion of the funds was allocated towards providing meals for underprivileged children, while the majority was used for extravagant purchases such as high-end vehicles, jewelry, travel, and real estate.
Throughout the trial that started in April, defense attorneys raised concerns about the FBI’s investigation and proposed that this could be more of a situation involving record-keeping issues rather than fraud. The defendants were simply trying to navigate the constantly evolving regulations for the food aid program.
These seven individuals were connected to a restaurant that took part in the food aid program. One of the individuals still awaiting trial is Aimee Bock, the founder of Feeding our Future. Bock has pleaded not guilty and maintains her innocence.
The 23-year-old juror promptly handed the bag of cash over to the police. According to a report in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, she claimed that a woman had entrusted it to her father-in-law on Sunday, along with a message promising an additional bag of cash if he voted to acquit.
According to defense attorney Andrew Birrell, the allegation of a bag of cash is causing concern and distress.
Prior to proceeding with further closing arguments on Monday, U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel conducted a thorough inquiry with the remaining 17 jurors and alternates. No individuals reported any instances of unauthorized contact. Brasel made the decision to sequester the jury for the remainder of the proceeding as a precautionary measure.
“I don’t do it lightly,” Brasel explained. However, I want to guarantee a just trial.
She took her time considering whether to detain the defendants, but she did instruct an FBI agent to seize their phones.
The aid funds were provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and distributed by the state Department of Education. Organizations and other partners involved in the program were expected to provide meals to children.
Feeding Our Future and Partners in Nutrition, initially small nonprofits, experienced significant growth in 2021, disbursing approximately $200 million each. Prosecutors claim that they generated invoices for meals that were never actually provided, operated shell companies, engaged in money laundering, committed passport fraud, and accepted illicit kickbacks.
