Staff Reports
A Seattle woman has found a novel approach to what some might call “justice,” pleading guilty to bribing a juror in a major COVID-19 fraud case. It seems Ladan Mohamed Ali, at the ripe age of 31, thought $120,000 in cash would convince a Minnesota juror to play nice in court. Anyone with a firm grasp on the ethics of trial proceedings can only shake their head in disbelief at the brazen attempt to sway justice with such a hefty sum.
Ali’s scheme reads like something straight out of a Hollywood crime drama, minus the charm of a leading man. Instead of keeping the operation under wraps, Ali allegedly tracked down the juror, reportedly known as “Juror #52.” It appears she took stalking to a whole new level—following the poor woman to her home and dropping off the cash bribe like it was some sort of shady delivery service. At this point, one has to wonder whether Ali thinks she’s auditioning for a role in a mob movie or merely playing a grand game of “how low can you go.”
Woman Pleaded Guilty to Cash Bribe for Juror in COVID-19-related Fraud Case via @WestJournalism https://t.co/uXDxc2I3lA
— Olddognewtrixs (@BriMuellerUT) September 6, 2024
Court documents have revealed the outrageous lengths to which Ali and her accomplices went to hatch this plot. They reportedly delved into social media research, surveilled the juror’s daily activities, and even invested in a GPS device, ostensibly to track her like a hawk. One might argue that instead of such a ridiculous approach, Ali could have simply invested her time and energy into, say, honest work. But that would be too simplistic and, frankly, not nearly as entertaining.
The home of this fraught drama is rooted in one of the largest COVID-19 fraud cases on record, where more than $40 million was pilfered from a program designed to feed kids during the pandemic. That’s right—while many families were struggling to put food on the table, a crew of alleged crooks was busy lining their pockets with taxpayer dollars. With a whopping $250 million taken across the board, it’s safe to say the fraud scheme has hit hard on the nation’s finances. Shockingly, of the swindled funds, only a measly $50 million has been retrieved—if that doesn’t make your blood boil, what will?
Ali is now part of a larger cast of characters, including four co-defendants, all tangled in the web of this ill-conceived plot. Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, Said Shafii Farah, Abdulkarim Shafii Farah, and Abdimajid Mohamed Nur round out the group of fraudsters shamelessly attempting to tilt the scales of justice for their advantage. One can’t help but wonder if they might have put that energy into better pursuits, perhaps even trying to redeem the $40 million stolen instead.
In the end, this tale serves as a reminder of the lengths some would go to achieve their nefarious goals, all while the average American taxpayer is left to pick up the pieces. Their boldness, while impressive in its own right, reveals more about their character… or lack thereof.
