In a high-profile case that has captivated public attention, a jury convicted five Minnesota residents and acquitted two others for their involvement in a scheme to embezzle over $40 million that was meant to provide meals for children during the coronavirus pandemic. The trial took an unexpected turn when it was revealed that someone attempted to bribe a juror with a bag containing $120,000 in cash, casting a shadow of doubt on the fairness of the proceedings.

The attempt to sway the outcome of the trial came to light before deliberations began, resulting in the immediate dismissal of the bribed juror. Another juror who was notified of the incident was also dismissed. The FBI is currently conducting an investigation into the attempted bribe, but no arrests have been made at this time.

Following the reading of the verdicts, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson condemned the attempted bribery as "an attack on our criminal justice system." Thompson affirmed that authorities would pursue a thorough investigation using all available resources. While declining to comment further on the bribery issue, Thompson expressed satisfaction with the convictions in the fraud case.

Prosecutors argued that the defendants had deceived the state of Minnesota and capitalized on the COVID-19 pandemic, exploiting lax regulations to steal millions of dollars. Thompson stated, "They lied and they fraudulently claimed to be feeding millions of meals to children in Minnesota during COVID. The defendants took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud the state of Minnesota and to steal tens of millions of dollars. This conduct was not just criminal, it was depraved and brazen."

In their defense, attorneys asserted that their clients had indeed provided legitimate meals to actual recipients. However, the jury ultimately delivered a split verdict, finding five defendants guilty while acquitting two others. These seven individuals were the first group to face trial out of a total of 70 involved in what federal prosecutors have deemed one of the largest COVID-19-related frauds in the nation.

The widespread scam exploited relaxed rules designed to prevent an economic crash during the pandemic, allowing the criminals to siphon an estimated $250 million in federal funds in the Minnesota scheme. Regrettably, only approximately $50 million of the stolen funds have been recouped thus far, authorities revealed.

The defendants faced a range of charges, including conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and federal programs bribery. As the legal proceedings continue, the convictions handed down serve as a stern reminder that justice will be pursued diligently in cases of pandemic-related fraud.

The fallout from this groundbreaking case is likely to reverberate through the justice system as it seeks to bring all involved parties to account for their actions in what is being coined one of the nation's most audacious COVID-19-related scams.