MINNEAPOLIS – A third defendant has pleaded guilty in a case involving a bribery attempt aimed at influencing a juror in a significant COVID-19 fraud case in Minnesota. Abdulkarim Shafii Farah admitted to bribing a juror with a $120,000 cash offer for favorable verdicts linked to the Feeding Our Future scandal.
Farah is the third of five defendants to confess to federal charges connected to this bribery scheme, which emerged during the initial trial of those involved in the Feeding Our Future program, which has drawn widespread scrutiny. Notably, two of the defendants in this trial are Farah’s brothers.
Prosecutors revealed that Farah’s co-defendants targeted a specific juror for the bribery attempt. Farah was responsible for surveilling the juror’s residence and even transported a woman from Seattle to deliver the bribe. Following the cash delivery, the juror promptly reported the incident to law enforcement.
The defendants allegedly chose the juror, identified as “Juror 52,” due to her age and perceived status as the only person of color on the jury panel.
Ladan Mohamed Ali, the woman who delivered the cash, pleaded guilty last September, while Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, the individual who orchestrated the bribe, entered a guilty plea last July.
Currently, Farah, Ali, and Nur are awaiting sentencing. Two additional defendants in the bribery case still have pending charges. While Farah faces a maximum sentence of 15 years, under the plea agreement, federal sentencing guidelines suggest a potential prison term of 46 to 57 months.
In the larger fraud investigation related to Feeding Our Future, 70 individuals have been charged, with 45 already convicted. Authorities allege that the scheme siphoned off $250 million from a federal program intended to feed children during the pandemic. The case has garnered national attention, particularly after the ringleader, Aimee Bock, was recently convicted on all counts.
Lisa Kirkpatrick, the acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota, has called the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme the largest of its kind targeting COVID-19 relief programs nationwide. Expressing her gratitude for the integrity displayed by the juror, she emphasized that Juror 52 “represents the best of Minnesota” for her unwavering commitment to justice.
