Minnesota — The first defendant has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for his role in attempting to bribe a juror during the high-profile Feeding Our Future fraud trial.
According to federal prosecutors, Abdulkarim Farah received a 57-month prison sentence followed by one year of supervised release in U.S. District Court for his involvement in the bribery attempt. The case was announced by U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
The attempted bribe occurred during the April 2024 federal trial involving the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, one of the largest pandemic-related fraud cases prosecuted in the United States.
Surveillance and Bribery Plot
Court records show that Farah worked with relatives and co-conspirators to target Juror 52, who was serving on the jury in the case. Two of the defendants on trial were brothers of Farah.
Farah conducted surveillance of the juror and the juror’s residence and shared information about where the juror parked while attending court proceedings.
Prosecutors said the group recruited a co-defendant, Ladan Ali, to deliver a cash bribe to the juror in exchange for a not-guilty verdict. Farah drove Ali to the juror’s home and recorded video of the attempted bribe.
Before the delivery, Farah purchased a screwdriver from a Target store and removed the license plate from the rental car used in the scheme in an effort to avoid detection.
On June 2, 2024, Ali delivered a gift bag containing the cash to a relative of the juror, allegedly promising additional money if the juror voted to acquit the defendants.
Afterward, Farah sent the video of the delivery to his brother, who was connected to the defendants in the fraud trial.
Attempt to Destroy Evidence
When the bribery attempt was disclosed in court the following day, prosecutors said Farah attempted to conceal the conspiracy by deleting the encrypted messaging application Signal from his phone, which had been used to communicate with co-conspirators.
Judge Emphasizes Importance of Jury Integrity
U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud, who imposed the sentence, said the attempted bribery struck at the foundation of the justice system.
“Properly functioning juries are the core of our criminal justice system,” Tostrud said during sentencing, adding that federal courts must protect the public’s right to fair and impartial juries.
The judge also praised the juror involved for rejecting what prosecutors described as a “very substantial bribe.”
Federal Investigation
The case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline and Matthew C. Murphy prosecuted the case.
The attempted juror bribery occurred amid the broader federal prosecution of the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, which involved allegations of widespread misuse of pandemic relief funds intended to provide meals for children.
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