Five Charged in Jury Bribery Plot in COVID Fraud Trial Federal prosecutors in New York have charged five individuals with attempting to bribe jurors in a high-profile COVID-19 fraud trial. The defendants, identified as Daniel Duke, Matthew Thomas, Christopher Nomura, Jean Michele Saint-Juste, and Mark Martino, are accused of conspiring to offer bribes to jurors in exchange for a not-guilty verdict in the case. The trial in question involved several defendants who were accused of defrauding the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) out of millions of dollars in pandemic relief funds. Prosecutors alleged that the defendants submitted false invoices and forged documents to obtain funds intended to support hospitals and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the indictment, Duke, a medical doctor, approached jurors outside the courtroom and offered them $500,000 in exchange for an acquittal. Saint-Juste, a nurse, allegedly solicited other jurors to participate in the scheme. Thomas, Nomura, and Martino are accused of providing logistical support, including arranging meetings and transferring funds. The FBI conducted an undercover investigation into the alleged bribery plot, using a confidential informant to record the defendants’ conversations. The recordings provided evidence of the defendants’ intent to bribe jurors and obstruct the trial. All five defendants have been arrested and charged with conspiracy to bribe jurors and obstruction of justice. They face significant prison sentences if convicted. The jury bribery plot has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the justice system. If successful, the scheme would have undermined the proceedings and potentially allowed dangerous criminals to escape punishment. Federal prosecutors have vowed to aggressively pursue anyone who attempts to interfere with the administration of justice. The charges against the five defendants serve as a reminder that the rule of law must be upheld at all costs.Five individuals have been charged with jury bribery in connection with a COVID-19 fraud trial in California. According to prosecutors, the defendants allegedly attempted to bribe jurors in exchange for favorable verdicts in the fraud case. The defendants, who include the alleged ringleader of the bribery plot, are accused of offering money and other incentives to jurors in the trial. The trial involved a group of individuals who were charged with defrauding the state’s unemployment insurance system during the pandemic. The defendants’ attempts to bribe the jurors were reportedly unsuccessful, and the charges were filed after an investigation by law enforcement. The defendants face charges including bribery, conspiracy to commit bribery, and solicitation of bribery. The trial in the COVID-19 fraud case is ongoing, and the jury bribery charges are expected to be addressed separately. The defendants are scheduled to appear in court for a hearing on the bribery charges. Jury tampering is a serious crime that undermines the integrity of the justice system. The charges against these defendants highlight the importance of protecting the fairness and impartiality of jury trials.