A jury has convicted five Minnesota residents and acquitted two others in a scheme to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic to steal more than $40 million from a program meant to feed children. The verdict comes as the FBI investigates an attempt to bribe a juror with a bag of cash totalling $120,000. That juror was dismissed before deliberations began along with another juror who learned of the attempt. These seven defendants were the first of 70 to stand trial in one of the nation’s largest COVID-19-related fraud cases. Authorities say $250 million was stolen overall, with only $50 million recovered.
