In a shocking turn of events during the ongoing federal trial for seven individuals accused of defrauding child nutrition programs out of $40 million, two jurors have been dismissed due to alleged bribe attempts. According to multiple sources, including NBC News and CNN, one juror was removed after a family member reported that another juror had received a bribe offer worth nearly $120,000 in cash.
The first incident occurred on Sunday when an unidentified woman delivered a gift bag containing approximately $120,000 in cash to the home of Juror #52. The woman reportedly asked the juror to ensure a not guilty verdict for the defendants and mentioned that there would be more money available if they complied.
Juror #52 immediately contacted authorities after receiving the bribe, leading to an FBI investigation into the matter. However, this incident did not come to light until Tuesday when another juror was dismissed due to learning about the attempted bribe from a family member.
The second juror was also replaced with an alternate as a precautionary measure. Both dismissed jurors were reportedly sequestered and replaced without any involvement from the defendants or their legal teams.
This is not the first time such allegations have surfaced in this trial. In fact, Judge Nancy Brasel had previously warned all parties involved to avoid any attempts at jury tampering or bribery. The judge also ordered all seven defendants to be held without bond and sequestered the remaining jurors.
The defense attorneys for the accused individuals have condemned the allegations, stating that they are unfounded and baseless. However, given the seriousness of these claims, federal charges are expected in the future.
This development comes as jury deliberations continue in a trial that began in late April and has already seen 24 days of testimony and evidence presentation. The seven defendants face a variety of charges including conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and bribery.
The Feeding Our Future fraud scheme is one of the largest pandemic relief fraud cases in the country to date. Prosecutors allege that the defendants took advantage of relaxed rules related to federal child nutrition programs during the COVID-19 pandemic for their own gain, resulting in a $40 million loss.
As this story develops, it is important to remember that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
