Five individuals have been accused of attempting to bribe a Minnesota juror with $120,000 in cash to secure the acquittal of defendants in a major Covid-related fraud case, as announced by the US attorney’s office and the FBI.

Court documents reveal a complex plot where the accused extensively researched the juror’s personal details on social media, conducted surveillance, monitored her daily routines, and even placed a GPS tracker on her car.

The target, known as juror 52 and believed to be the only person of color and youngest member on the panel, reported the bribery attempt before deliberations began and was subsequently removed from the case.

This brazen bribery effort has drawn significant attention to the trial involving seven Minnesota defendants accused of embezzling over $40 million from a federal program designed to aid children during the pandemic, The Guardian has reported.

Despite efforts to recover approximately $50 million of the $250 million misappropriated, authorities describe the scheme as reminiscent of scenes from a mob movie.

US attorney Andrew Luger emphasized that the accused sought to influence the jury not through evidence but via an intricate plan to manipulate its composition.

Written by B.C. Begley