Feds Seek Woman Who Left Bag of $120,000 as Bribe With Promise of More at Home of Food Fraud Juror

The cash from a bag that was left at the home of a juror in a massive fraud case outside Minneapolis on June 2, 2024. U.S. Attorney's Office for Minnesota via AP

MINNEAPOLIS—Federal authorities in Minnesota have confiscated cellphones and taken all seven defendants into custody as investigators try to determine who attempted to bribe a juror with a bag of cash containing $120,000 to get her to acquit them on charges of stealing more than $40 million from a program meant to feed children during the pandemic.

The case went to the jury late Monday afternoon, after the juror, who promptly reported the attempted bribe to police, was dismissed and replaced with an alternate. The incident had further ripple effects before deliberations resumed Tuesday—when another juror was replaced after a family member asked about the attempted bribe.