Court filing describes chaotic messaging around attempted $120,000 bribe in Feeding Our Future trial

Text messages flew furiously as the bribe was delivered. The defendants in the Feeding Our Future trial knew what was at stake.

“100 [thousand] for our freedom is nothing bro,” Abdiaziz Farah sent to his co-defendant Mukhtar Shariff, “worth trying everything bro.”

The attempted bribery was in response to the sprawling FBI investigation into the Minnesota nonprofit that alleged more than $250 million in federal reimbursements was stolen and spent on luxury homes, cars and other lavish expenses in what was one of the largest pandemic-era fraud cases in the United States.

The United States Attorney’s Office detailed dozens of messages between several co-defendants on Monday as it filed a motion to supplement the presentence investigation report for Shariff. Shariff was convicted for his role in the fraud scandal, but has not been charged with bribing the juror.

“The government has learned that defendant Shariff knew about the bribery attempt and destroyed communications he had with his co-defendant Abdiaziz Farah about the bribe,” the motion reads.

As the seven-week trial was coming to a close, several of the defendants targeted a 23-year-old known as Juror 52 to deliver a bribe to try and secure a not guilty verdict. The Attorney’s Office said it was because they believed “she was the youngest juror and the only juror of color.”

One of the defendants, Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, reached out to Ladan Mohamed Ali, a 31-year-old Seattle woman who prosecutors say had a prior relationship with Nur, to deliver the bribe. Nur and Farah conducted research on the juror and her family. They tasked others to conduct surveillance on her, photograph her home and put a tracking device on her car.

Ali flew from Seattle to Minneapolis to help. She then crafted a series of lies. She told Nur that Juror 52 agreed to the bribe and requested $500,000, both of which were not true.

As Farah was trying to secure the $500,000 for the juror, he messaged Nur on the Signal messaging app, which is known for its encryption and not collecting data.

“Tell her the money is coming from overseas,” Farah wrote. “And it needs time or something like that bro.”

Nur relayed that message to Ali.

She replied to Nur: “Is he crazy. I will literally go to jail. This girl is not playing. Tell him to sell a kidney babe if he has to!!! She needs it all tomorrow.”

There was high tension between the defendants as the money was collected. Abdiaziz Farah messaged his brother and co-defendant Said Farah, “Don’t worry abti, we won’t spend any money on something that’s not confirmed. I got it under control. Please have the money ready by 10 please.”

The defendants were able to secure $200,000. Unbeknownst to all of them, Ali pocketed $80,000 for herself.

At approximately 8:50 p.m. on June 2, Ali dropped off $120,000 with Juror 52′s stepfather. It was raining outside, but the defendants made sure the bribery was recorded.

After she dropped the money off, Ali texted Nur, “It’s done babe.” Two hours later she texted him again, “We did it babe. I did it. I can’t stop crying. I’m celebrating as if the verdict has been read.”

Abdiaziz Farah remained worried. He wrote to Nur, “Why didn’t we ask to talk to the ... girl?”

Farah then messaged Shariff about the bribe and included the video of the bribe, “Bro. This is our life.” At 11 p.m. Farah messaged Shariff again, “I am not worried bro. I shared because I trust bro don’t worry.”

Court was scheduled for 8 a.m. Farah messaged Shariff, “Get some sleep man.”

The next day, June 3, Ali and Nur were trying to figure out how to read Juror 52 for signs if she was accepting the bribe. They figured if she came into the courtroom and sat down normally, the bribe was going to work.

Ali messaged Nur at 8:07 a.m., “She’s in there? Acting normal? I have a feeling it’s all good baby!!”

But the plot would quickly unravel.

At 8:28 a.m., Judge Nancy Brasel took the bench and the government immediately announced the bribe and the juror, who had immediately reported the bribe, was dismissed.

At 8:31 a.m., Nur uninstalled and deleted the Signal encrypted message app from his iPhone.

At 8:41 a.m., Farah did a factory reset of his iPhone.

At 8:43 a.m., Shariff uninstalled and deleted the Signal app from his iPhone.

Farah’s two younger brothers, Said and Abdulkarim, who allegedly helped with the plot to bribe the juror, also tried to delete the incriminating messages.

A few hours after news broke of the bribe, Ali was on a one-way flight back to Seattle.

Four days later, Farah, Nur and Shariff were three of five defendants found guilty of defrauding the government of money intended to feed hungry children.

In June, a federal grand jury indicted Nur, Ali and the three Farah brothers on charges of conspiracy to bribe a juror, bribery of a juror and corruptly influencing a juror. Abdiaziz Farah was also charged with one count of obstruction of justice. Ali pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal criminal charges for her role in the bribery and faces a possible sentence of five to six years in prison. In July, Nur pleaded guilty to one count of bribing a juror.

All are awaiting sentencing.

Stephen Montemayor and Deena Winter contributed to this story.