A juror was dismissed Monday after reporting that a woman dropped a bag of $120,000 in cash at her home and offered her more money if she would vote to acquit seven people charged with stealing more than $40 million from a program meant to feed children during the pandemic.
“This is completely beyond the pale,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said in court on Monday. “This is outrageous behavior. This is stuff that happens in mob movies.”
These seven are the first of 70 defendants expected to go to trial in a conspiracy that cost taxpayers $250 million. Eighteen others have pleaded guilty, and authorities said they recovered about $50 million in one of the nation’s largest pandemic-related fraud cases. Prosecutors say just a fraction of the money went to feed low-income kids, while the rest was spent on luxury cars, jewelry, travel and property.
During the trial that began in April, defense attorneys questioned the quality of the FBI’s investigation and suggested that this might be more of a case of record-keeping problems than fraud as these defendants sought to keep up with rapidly changing rules for the food aid program.
Coming forward about this IS heroism. That juror is in mortal danger. I am in no way exaggerating, anyone who would do this would kill to keep secrets.
She’s in less danger now that she’s off the case and has already told everything she knows. Killing her might send a message to other jurors to shut up and keep their money but they could just as well assume they would be killed after the trial to leave no witnesses. So it doesn’t really work. It would add to her credibility and more charges against them.
So she’s only in a little bit of mortal danger? That’s still more than all the rest of us. Hero.
Oh she’s definitely a hero. Plus she got out of jury duty!