Five people were convicted Friday of participating in a massive fraud scheme that embezzled more than $40 million from federal funds meant to feed children during the pandemic, the New York Post reported.
The case attracted widespread attention due to an alleged attempt to bribe jurors with $120,000 in cash hidden in Hallmark gift bags on the eve of closing arguments. according to The effort failed, and the jurors involved, as well as another who had been informed of the bribery, were dismissed, according to the New York Post. The seven defendants, all of East African descent, are part of a larger group of 70 people on trial accused of misappropriating more than $250 million in COVID-19 relief funds.
Only $50 million has been recovered so far. According to the New York Post, five men were convicted – Abdiaziz Shafi’i Farah, Mohammed Jama Ismail, Abdimadjid Mohammed Noor, Mukhtar Mohammed Sharif and Hayat Mohammed Noor – on charges ranging from wire fraud to money laundering and federal program bribery.
Five convicted in $250 million fraud case after jurors received $120,000 in bags of bribes delivered to their homes https://t.co/veake4QztL pic.twitter.com/SlcwmPoL5g
— New York Post (@nypost) June 7, 2024
The bribery case, which US Attorney Joseph Thompson likened to something from a “Mafia movie,” involved an unidentified woman delivering cash to jurors’ homes and promising them more money if they voted to acquit, the media reported. According to an FBI affidavit, the woman, whose identity has not been disclosed but who knows the jurors’ first names, instructed their families to provide the jurors with money equivalent to an acquittal the following day. (Related article: Congressman indicted on bribery charges spent nearly half his campaign funds on legal fees)
The jurors were not at home at the time, but they immediately called the police to report the suspicious attempt. According to the New York Post, after the bribery attempt was discovered, the presiding judge asked the seven defendants to hand over their cell phones for investigation. Authorities then handcuffed all seven and escorted them out of the courtroom. Attempting to bribe a juror is a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
