MINNEAPOLIS — After posing a number of skeptical questions to defense attorneys for brothers Said and Abdulkarim Farah, Magistrate Judge Tony Leung ordered the defendants to be jailed until they face trial on charges that they attempted to bribe a juror during the recent Feeding our Future meal fraud trial.
The Farah brothers both pleaded not guilty Wednesday prior to the detention hearing.
"It's very concerning — the brazenness and shocking nature of this threat to our justice system," Judge Leung said, pointing out that he needs to consider not just safety to the community but also to "Juror 52," the young woman targeted with the attempted bribe.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson shared new details about how the juror reacted to the bribe and how she is doing now.
"Juror 52 is terrified. She was crying on body camera video I viewed from that night. She's still terrified. The FBI had to check her car for a tracking device. She’s reassured now that the defendants are in custody," Thompson said.
Said and Abdulkarim Farah are charged, along with their brother Abdiaziz Farah, Abdimajid Nur, and Ladan Ali with conspiring to corrupt a jury.
Abdiaziz Farah, Said Farah, and Nur were all defendants in the first Feeding our Future meal fraud trial when Thompson said they hatched the scheme to target a juror.
Thompson said Said Farah "raised" $200,000 for the juror bribe. The U.S. Attorney's Office has not commented on the origin of the bribe money or what became of the $80,000 that was not delivered to Juror 52. FBI agents seized about $26,000 from Abdulkarim Farah's home, according to a search warrant.
Abdulkarim Farah was more hands-on with the delivery of the money, which was by design, Thompson said. The juror wouldn't recognize him since he wasn't on trial. Thompson said he followed her to her car at the Haaf Parking Ramp, then provided a photo of her car and map of the ramp to Ali, who had flown in from Seattle.
Ali is accused of following the juror home and surveilling her over the next few days.
Then on June 2, Abdulkarim Farah is accused of buying a screwdriver at Target to remove Ali's license plate, then driving with her to the juror's home in Spring Lake Park.
Thompson said Abdulkarim Farah videotaped Ali handing the money to Juror 52's relative that answered the door, for two reasons.
"Number one, to ensure the bribe money was actually given to Juror 52, and second -- and more chillingly -- to ensure if she accepted the bribe that she would follow through. Essentially to extort her if she didn’t follow through with the not guilty verdict," Thompson said.
RELATED: FBI raids Feeding our Future defendant's home a second time as juror bribe investigation continues
Last week, Ali was allowed to walk free from the courthouse as federal prosecutors did not seek detention prior to trial.
But in this case, Judge Leung — with an incredulous tone — questioned the defense arguments that the defendants did not pose a threat if released.
"The allegations of an attempt to bribe Juror 52 in such a sophisticated, precalculated, and executed manner threatened the heart of the system of jurors and rule of law," Leung said.
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