Juror In High-Profile Case Dismissed After Being Offered $120K to Acquit

A juror in the fraud case against Feeding Our Future was offered a bag of $120,000 to acquit the defendants.

The report says a woman dressed in black showed up at the juror's home on Sunday night with a party bag, stuffed with wads of cash that equaled $120,000. The bills in the bag consisted of $100, $50, and $20 bills, according to a search warrant issued.

The 23-year-old juror's father-in-law answered the door just before 9pm, and the woman told him if the juror voted to acquit the seven defendants, there would be "more of that present tomorrow."

Police said the juror reported the encounter to Spring Lake Park police, and turned over the bag of cash to the FBI, who is investigating the incident. The juror was dismissed before the jury gathered in the Minneapolis courtroom on Monday.

"This is outrageous behavior," Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson told U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel. "This is stuff that happens in mob movies."

As the trial enters the week seven, the development hit the trial just before closing arguments and jury deliberations late Monday afternoon.

The trial is the first in a larger case that prosecutors have called one of the largest pandemic fraud schemes in the country, with 70 people charged with stealing more than $250 million in federal money meant to feed needy children.

The juror, known only to the public as Juror #52, had her first name used by the woman dropping off the money.

All of the defendants' phones have been seized by the FBI to see if any of them leaked juror names, and all will be detained until the source of the leak is discovered - none of whom have been jailed since the start of 2023.

As for the juror who was approached, she's scared. "The juror remains at risk for retaliation," U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel said.

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