MINNEAPOLIS — On Wednesday, a third individual implicated in an attempt to bribe a juror with $120,000 in cash confessed to his role in the case tied to extensive COVID-19-related fraud in Minnesota.
Abdulkarim Shafii Farah admitted to one count of juror bribery, becoming the third out of five individuals to acknowledge federal charges linked to this bribery incident, which surfaced last year during the initial trial of those indicted in the Feeding Our Future scandal. Notably, two of those trial defendants were Farah’s siblings.
The authorities explained that Farah’s codefendants pinpointed a juror for bribe solicitation, prompting Farah to monitor the juror and her residence. Farah also escorted a woman from Seattle to deliver a cash bag to the juror’s relative, recording the transaction as they mistrusted their partner fully. However, the juror reported the incident to authorities upon her return.
Prosecutors have claimed that the defendants chose “Juror 52” for the bribery plot due to her being the youngest and possibly the only person of color on the jury.
In related developments, the Seattle woman, Ladan Mohamed Ali, owned up to her involvement the previous September, and the individual who engaged her, Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, confessed last July. Farah, Ali, and Nur await sentencing, while the cases against the other two individuals in the bribery scheme are ongoing. Though Farah’s charge holds a maximum 15-year sentence, the plea arrangement suggests a 46 to 57 months imprisonment based on nonbinding federal guidelines.
Altogether, 70 were indicted, with 45 convictions already obtained in the broader fraud case surrounding Feeding Our Future. According to prosecutors, the scheme diverted $250 million intended for feeding children during COVID-19 times. Convicted last month on all charges, alleged mastermind Aimee Bock’s trial garnered national attention partly due to a thwarted witness tampering attempt.
Acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, Lisa Kirkpatrick, condemned the bribe as “a shameful chapter in Minnesota history.” She praised Juror 52 for her integrity, stating, “I am grateful for Juror 52, who is the true hero of this story. Juror 52 — who could not be corrupted and immediately alerted law enforcement — represents the best of Minnesota.”