A jury in Minnesota found five out of seven defendants guilty of the $250M COVID-19 relief fraud, the misused funds that are meant to feed children in the state.
The defendants were charged with numerous crimes related to the misappropriation of millions of dollars at the height of the pandemic. This case marks the first verdict in what prosecutors describe as the largest COVID-19 relief fraud scheme to date.
The Guilty Verdict From $250M COVID-19 Relief Fraud for Child Nutrition
The trial verdict came after three days of boosted deliberation. The members of the jury faced multitudinous attempts to tamper with the decision, which nearly derailed the proceedings.
Prior to court day, one juror reported an attempt to buy her $120,000 in cash in exchange for a not-shamefaced vote. This incident led to her dismissal, along with that of another juror, who shared with a family member the alleged bribery that happened.
The condemned defendants-Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, Mohamed Jama Ismail, Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff, and Hayat Nur-were set up shamefaced of the utmost of the charges against them, including conspiracy to commit line fraud and plutocrat laundering. Said Shafii Farah and Abdiwahab Maalim Aftin were acquitted of all charges.
From April 2020 to January 2022, the defendants fraudulently obtained over $40 million from the Federal Child Nutrition Program, which was intended to provide free meals to children and low-income families during the epidemic.
Rather, the finances were used to buy luxury goods, including homes and buses. Attorney Andrew Luger stated that the defendants exploited the program intended to give nutritional food to indigent children during the COVID-19 epidemic.
However, they prioritized their own rapacity. The trial, which lasted six weeks, featured testaments from over 30 substantiations and was a significant part of a broader disquisition involving the nonprofit Feeding Our Future.
This association was intertwined with recruiting individuals to set up fraudulent mess spots, significantly increasing their civil backing from $3.4 million in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021.
Ongoing Investigations and Future Implications
The FBI has verified that examinations into the jury tampering incident are ongoing. The agency conducted court-authorized conditioning in Savage, Minnesota, where several of the defendants had bought parcels.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota has remained tight-lipped about the ongoing jury tampering investigation.
According to an FBI affidavit, the bribery attempt involved a woman delivering a gift bag filled with cash to a juror's relative, with pledges of further monetary gains if a not guilty vote was secured.
The juror's related information was accessible to all defendants, their attorneys, and prosecutors, raising reservations that the fix began from within the defendant group.
District Judge Nancy Brasel indicated in a detention order that at least one defendant was likely involved in the bribery attempt, pressing the serious nature of the crime, which carries a maximum judgment of 20 times in captivity.
Attorneys for the condemned defendants have largely abstained from opining on the bribery allegations.
Frederick Goetz, representing Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff, stated his customer had no involvement, while Steve Schleicher, representing Said Shafii Farah, declined to note. Other defense attorneys didn't respond to inquiries.
The persuasions, in this case, emphasize the graveness of fraudulent conditioning during a time of public extremity and the severe legal consequences that follow.
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