New court filings from federal prosecutors in Minnesota shed light on an elaborate and desperate attempt to bribe a juror during a high-profile pandemic fraud trial. The alleged scheme involved encrypted messaging, surveillance, and a significant sum of cash, all aimed at securing an acquittal.
$120,000 Bribe Discussed via Encrypted Messages
Mukhtar Shariff, one of five people convicted in a COVID-19 fraud case, is accused of conspiring with co-defendant Abdiaziz Farah to bribe a juror for a not-guilty verdict. Prosecutors revealed that the two used the encrypted app Signal to plan the $120,000 payoff.
“100 for our freedom is nothing, bro, worth trying everything,” Farah allegedly messaged Shariff, emphasizing the high stakes.
Farah also expressed optimism about their target, reportedly texting: “I have a good feeling she will come through and that’s a lot of money for her family.”
Elaborate Surveillance and a Gift Bag of Cash
Prosecutors claim the defendants extensively researched the juror, referred to as “Juror #52,” including her personal habits and social media activity. Believing her to be sympathetic due to her background, they allegedly tracked her movements and even purchased a GPS device to monitor her car.
Prosecutors say Ladan Mohamed Ali, a co-conspirator, was recruited to deliver $120,000 of the bribe money in a gift bag to the juror’s home. However, the juror did not accept the bribe and immediately contacted authorities, triggering an FBI investigation.
A Plot Straight Out of a “Mob Movie”
U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger likened the scheme to a “mob movie,” citing the lengths to which the defendants went to influence the jury. Prosecutors allege Ali kept $80,000 of the bribe money for herself and falsely claimed to her co-conspirators that the juror demanded $500,000 for a not-guilty vote.
In one Signal exchange, Ali joked about the stakes, writing, “This girl is not playing. Tell him to sell a kidney babe if he has to!!!”
Multiple Guilty Pleas and Ongoing Trials
While Ali and another co-defendant, Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, have pleaded guilty to bribery-related charges, Shariff and Farah face additional scrutiny but have not been charged with bribery. Ali admitted to lying about contacting the juror, and Nur confessed to providing Ali with $200,000 in cash for the scheme.
Farah’s plea status remains unclear, while trials for other defendants continue.
A Record COVID-19 Fraud Case
The bribery attempt is tied to one of the largest pandemic-related fraud cases in the United States. The defendants were convicted of conspiring to steal over $40 million from a federal program intended to provide meals to children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
