Jury begins 5th day of deliberations in fraud trial of Minnesota businessman Tom Petters

Petters fraud trial enters Day 5 of deliberations

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Jurors have begun their fifth day of deliberations in the fraud trial of Minnesota businessman Tom Petters.

Petters is accused of running a Ponzi scheme at Petters Co. Inc. that cost investors more than $3.5 billion. The charges include wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy and money laundering.

Jurors who got the case last week have already deliberated for almost 25 hours. They’re working through a 20-count indictment and 49 pages of jury instructions.

Petters claims other defendants in the case carried out the fraud without his knowledge, then testified against him in hopes of lighter sentences.