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Juror dismissed after reporting that someone dropped $120,000 bag of cash at her home and promised more after acquittal [1]

['Rob Beschizza']

Date: 2024-06-05  

A juror complained of being given $120,000 and offered even more if she voted to acquit seven people charged with stealing $40 million from a pandemic child welfare program. She immediately reported the incident to police and was released from jury service.

This is completely beyond the pale," Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said in court 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.

"Hello? Is this the police? Yes, I'm a juror in the Covid relief fraud case and I've just been given $180,000 in cash by someone. Yes, yes, they were just here. 160 grand, just handed to me on my doorstop. Well, they rang the doorbell, and then they were standing right there with it. Dark sunglasses, headscarf, and a black bag of money. I've just finished counting it and there's $140,000 in clean, crisp bills. They said there'd be more for me if I voted to acquit. Yes, I have the $120,000 right here."

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[1] Url: https://boingboing.net/2024/06/05/juror-dismissed-after-reporting-that-someone-dropped-120000-bag-of-cash-at-her-home-and-promised-more-after-acquittal.html

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