On the eve of the closing day of a federal fraud trial in Minneapolis, a woman drove up in a Mazda to a juror’s home holding a Hallmark gift bag emblazoned with butterflies and flowers. “This is for Juror 52,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson quoted the woman saying, according to a story in Sahan Journal, an online news organization. On Monday, the juror was dismissed and prosecutors asked the judge for permission to seize the cellphones of the seven individuals on trial as investigators endeavored to learn who orchestrated the apparent attempt to bribe a juror. Sahan Journal reported that the juror who was the intended recipient of the bribe was not in court Monday. FBI agents interviewed the juror Monday morning and took custody of the bag of cash from the Spring Lake Park Police Department.

Source: New York Times June 03, 2024 19:53 UTC