A second juror has been dismissed in as many days as the jury deliberates a verdict in the Feeding Our Future trial, after a massive bag of cash was dropped off to one juror as an attempted bribe.
The juror who was targeted with the bribe was dismissed on Monday and was replaced by an alternate. On Tuesday, a second juror was dismissed after learning from a family member that the previous juror received a bribe attempt, according to KMSP-TV.
Former judges and attorney's alike are calling the attempted bribe unprecedented in the Minnesota.
"I've never heard of an instance of an attempted bribe of a juror in Minnesota," Former Hennepin County Chief Judge Kevin Burke told the outlet.
Former U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Tom Heffelinger called the situation "unusual," adding that the "dangerous situation and will be fully investigated by federal authorities. I would expect federal charges in the future," according to KMSP.
What is Feeding Our Future?
Feeding Our Future is a "non-profit" company formed in 2016 to help communities secure federal food funding. According to the Star Tribune, the company's founder Aimee Bock said she employed 65 staff members and was working with 140 subcontractors to distribute 100,000 meals a day to Minnesota children.
What Scam Is Feeding Our Future Accused Of?
Prosecutors have called Feeding Our Future one of the largest COVID-19 related fraud cases in history of the pandemic. The 7 defendants on trial are accused of targeting a federal child nutrition program, taking advantage of eased-back rules during the pandemic to siphon $40 million from the U.S. government by falsely claiming they were giving food to children in order to collect payments.
The scheme writ large however, is accused of stealing over $250 million.
Authorities Say Feeding Our Future workers recruited subcontractors to open sites across Minnesota that made it look like they were feeding more children than they were. The company then submitted claims for reimbursement, according to the Associated Press.
Who Are The Feeding Our Future Fraud Defendants on Trial?
In total, there are 70 defendants in this case. The 7 defendants who are on trial now are the following: Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, Mohamed Jama Ismail, Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, Said Shafii Farah, Abdiwahab Maalim Aftin, Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff and Hayat Mohamed Nur. 18 other defendants have already pled guilty, while the rest await trial, including the company's founder, Aimee Bock, according to the Associated Press.
Who is Aimee Bock?
Aimee Bock is the founder of Feeding our Future. Since her arrest she has maintained her innocence, saying she never saw any evidence of fraud among her subcontractors and that she has never stolen any money.