Minnesota Jury Finds Five of Seven Somali Defendants Guilty in $250 Million Covid Fraud Scheme After Juror Bribed with Bag of Cash
SUMMARY
A Minnesota jury found five of seven Somali defendants guilty of stealing over $40 million in COVID-19 funds meant to feed children. This trial is part of a larger scheme where 70 members of the Somali community in Minnesota misappropriated around $250 million. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson stated that defendants falsified documents and fraudulently claimed to feed millions of children. Millions of dollars were sent overseas, and 80% of the stolen funds were not recovered. The guilty verdict followed a bribery attempt where a juror was offered $120,000 to vote for acquittal, leading to the juror's dismissal.
