Minneapolis man gets 57 months for attempted juror bribery tied to Feeding Our Future trial

Federal judge cites need to protect jury integrity in high-profile pandemic-era fraud prosecutions

A Minneapolis man was sentenced on March 4, 2026, to 57 months in federal prison for his role in an attempt to bribe a juror during the first criminal trial connected to the Feeding Our Future investigation. The sentence also includes one year of supervised release after prison.

The bribery conduct unfolded while seven defendants were on trial in federal court in Minneapolis beginning April 22, 2024. The case is part of a broader set of prosecutions alleging large-scale misuse of federally funded child nutrition reimbursements during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What prosecutors said happened during the 2024 trial

Court filings described a plan to target a specific juror, identified in court records as “Juror 52,” with cash in exchange for a “not guilty” vote. Prosecutors said the defendant worked with others to identify the juror, gather information about the juror’s movements, and support the delivery of money to the juror’s residence.

As part of the effort, investigators said the defendant conducted surveillance around the juror’s home and relayed information about where the juror parked during jury service. Prosecutors said he also helped facilitate the delivery by driving a co-defendant to the juror’s residence and recording video of the delivery.

• Prosecutors said a gift bag containing $120,000 in cash was delivered on the evening of June 2, 2024.
• They said the delivery included a message that more money would follow if the juror voted to acquit.
• They alleged the defendant removed a license plate from a rental vehicle to reduce the risk of detection.

How the court described the stakes

U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud imposed a 57-month prison term, which the court described as the high end of the applicable federal sentencing range. In court, the judge emphasized that juries are central to the criminal justice system and that the federal courts have a role in safeguarding the right to fair and impartial juries.

The court said jury integrity is essential to the functioning of the criminal justice system.

Context: Feeding Our Future prosecutions and related sentencing

The juror-bribery case sits alongside the underlying fraud prosecutions tied to Feeding Our Future. In one example of the broader case outcomes, on November 24, 2025, a defendant involved in the child-nutrition fraud scheme was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay $47,920,514 in restitution for conduct including fraudulent meal claims and related money laundering, with a separate sentencing still anticipated for that defendant’s role in the juror-bribery episode.

Federal investigators from multiple agencies participated in the juror-bribery investigation, including the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.