Current:Home > ScamsA woman pleads guilty to trying to bribe a juror in a major COVID-related fraud case-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
A woman pleads guilty to trying to bribe a juror in a major COVID-related fraud case
View Date:2024-12-23 19:38:55
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Seattle woman pleaded guilty Thursday to attempting to bribe a Minnesota juror with a bag of $120,000 in cash in exchange for an acquittal in one of the country’s largest COVID-19-related fraud cases.
Ladan Mohamed Ali, 31, was accused of tracking a juror to her home and dropping off a cash bribe in exchange for an acquittal in a separate fraud case.
Court documents revealed an extravagant scheme in which Ali and her co-defendants are accused of researching the juror’s personal information on social media, surveilling her, tracking her daily habits and buying a GPS device to install on her car. Authorities believe the defendants targeted the woman, known as “Juror #52,” because she was the youngest and they believed her to be the only person of color on the panel.
The bribe attempt surrounded the trial of seven defendants in one of the country’s largest COVID-19-related fraud cases. The defendants were accused of coordinating to steal more than $40 million from a federal program that was supposed to feed children during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than $250 million in federal funds were taken overall in the scheme, and only about $50 million has been recovered, authorities say.
Ali is one of five people charged in the attempted bribery of the juror, a scheme prosecutors have described as “something out of a mob movie.” Her attorney, Eric Newmark, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
The four others charged with crimes related to the bribe are Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, Said Shafii Farah, Abdulkarim Shafii Farah and Abdimajid Mohamed Nur.
veryGood! (23)
Related
- NCT DREAM enters the 'DREAMSCAPE': Members on new album, its concept and songwriting
- Denmark drops cases against former defense minister and ex-spy chief charged with leaking secrets
- Extremists kill 37 villagers in latest attack in Nigeria’s hard-hit northeast
- House weighs censure efforts against Rashida Tlaib and Marjorie Taylor Greene over their rhetoric
- Padma Lakshmi, John Boyega, Hunter Schafer star in Pirelli's 2025 calendar: See the photos
- Teachers kick off strike in Portland, Oregon, over class sizes, pay and resources
- Jury selected after almost 10 months for rapper Young Thug’s trial on gang, racketeering charges
- Gender-affirming care is life-saving, research says. Why is it so controversial?
- Apologetic rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine gets 45 days in prison for probation violations
- Meta will charge for ad-free versions of Facebook, Instagram in Europe after privacy ruling
Ranking
- Anti-abortion advocates press Trump for more restrictions as abortion pill sales spike
- 5 Things podcast: One Israeli and one Palestinian cry together for peace
- Touring at 80? Tell-all memoirs? New Kids on the Block are taking it step-by-step
- Toyota recalls nearly 1.9M RAV4s to fix batteries that can move during hard turns and cause a fire
- Homes of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce burglarized, per reports
- 'I want the same treatment': TikToker's Atlanta restaurant reviews strike chord nationwide
- The American Cancer Society says more people should get screened for lung cancer
- Advocates Question Biden Administration’s Promises to Address Environmental Injustices While Supporting Fossil Fuel Projects
Recommendation
-
Research reveals China has built prototype nuclear reactor to power aircraft carrier
-
D-backs’ Zac Gallen loses World Series no-hit bid on Corey Seager’s leadoff single in 7th inning
-
Alabama court says state can execute inmate with nitrogen gas
-
Police: Father, son fatally shot in Brooklyn apartment over noise dispute with neighbor
-
Dallas Long, who won 2 Olympic medals while dominating the shot put in the 1960s, has died at 84
-
Sidewalk plaques commemorating Romans deported by Nazis are vandalized in Italian capital
-
College Football Playoff rankings winners, losers: Do not freak out. It's the first week.
-
Jurors in serial killings trial views video footage of shootings