Jury in case of Minnesota businessman accused of $3.5B Ponzi scheme breaks for Thanksgiving

Jury in Petters fraud case breaks for Thanksgiving

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A jury deliberating the case of a Minnesota businessman accused of operating a Ponzi scheme that cost investors more than $3.5 billion has gone home for the Thanksgiving holiday without reaching a verdict.

Jurors got the case against Tom Petters on Monday afternoon, when they deliberated for about two hours. They spent more than seven hours in discussions Tuesday.

They’re working through 49 pages of jury instructions and a 20-count indictment that charges Petters with wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy and money laundering.

The defense claims Petters is innocent and others carried out the fraud without his knowledge.

The jury will resume deliberations at 9 a.m. Monday at the federal courthouse in St. Paul.