Federal prosecutors have revealed explosive new details in the alleged $120,000 bribery scheme tied to the Feeding Our Future fraud trial. Court filings paint a picture of frantic coordination among defendants, who awaited the juror’s courtroom arrival the next morning as a sign their ploy had succeeded.
The scheme centered around an audacious attempt to sway “Juror 52” during deliberations. Prosecutors allege that once the bribery was disclosed by lead prosecutor Joe Thompson, the defendants swiftly began wiping evidence from their devices. This included Mukhtar Shariff, a key figure already convicted in the fraud trial, who has now been directly implicated in the bribe.
Shariff, according to the court documents, actively participated in covering up the plot. He deleted communications exchanged with co-defendant Abdiaziz Farah, but FBI analysts recovered digital traces of messages from Shariff’s phone and those of others involved, including Said Farah and Abdimajid Nur.
One co-conspirator, Ladan Ali, has confessed to delivering the cash to the juror’s home. Originally, she planned to pocket the money herself but was forced to follow through when a co-defendant arrived unexpectedly and recorded her handing over the bribe. Subsequent messages show concern about the footage’s quality, which appeared blurred due to rain.
Farah’s text exchanges with Shariff shed light on their mindset that night:
- 10:26 p.m. Farah to Shariff: “100 for our freedom is nothing bro, worth trying everything bro.”
- 10:29 p.m. Farah to Shariff: “That’s it bro. I have a good feeling she will come through and that’s a lot of money for her family.”
Hours before the scheme unraveled, Farah turned his attention to Judge Nancy Brasel, offering a mix of criticism and resignation about her perceived biases:
- 11:01 p.m. Farah to Shariff: “Get some sleep man. You got judge Nancy . . . waiting for you.”
- 11:08 p.m. Farah to Shariff: “Ameen bro. She is a terrible human being. My wife and siblings stopped coming to court coz they couldn’t stand her.”
- 11:14 p.m. Farah to Shariff: “She is still a G employee who is jealous of all of us. InshaAllah it will be smooth bro! Goodnight bro.”
The following morning, chaos erupted in court as Thompson announced the bribery attempt and moved to have the defendants detained. Witnesses observed them quickly reaching for their phones. FBI analysis confirmed Shariff uninstalled the encrypted messaging app Signal from his iPhone at precisely 8:43 a.m.
Prosecutors have now asked for a 21-year sentence for Shariff, arguing that his role in the bribery scheme compounds the seriousness of his fraud conviction. His sentencing date has yet to be finalized.
With each new revelation, the Feeding Our Future scandal expands into a cautionary tale about greed, audacity, and the painstaking work required to expose such plots in the pursuit of justice.