Salim Said Sentenced to 30 Years for $44 Million Federal Food Fraud

A federal judge in Minneapolis has ordered a 30-year prison sentence for Salim Said, the restaurant owner who played a central role in defrauding a federal food program in Minnesota.

The sentence, handed down on Wednesday, marks the latest legal outcome in a multi-year investigation into how millions of dollars were diverted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prosecutors accused Said of vastly overstating the number of meals his restaurant, Safari, actually served when seeking reimbursement. The government attributed $44 million in fraud to him, noting that some of the losses resulted from actions taken by individuals he recruited.

Court filings describe a stark discrepancy between the numbers Said reported and the reality on the ground. While he claimed a daily distribution of 6,000 meals, FBI surveillance cameras recorded only about 40 people collecting food per day. Prosecutors stated that the listed children were entirely fictitious, calling the scheme a calculated and lucrative lie rather than a genuine effort to feed underprivileged minors.

The federal food program typically operated through schools, but pandemic rules allowed restaurants to participate and expanded distribution sites. Said exploited these changes for 21 consecutive months. The government noted that the proceeds allowed him to purchase a $1.2 million home, commercial real estate, and an $87,000 pickup truck.

Said, a native of Somalia, denied the charges when he testified at his 2025 trial. He described his restaurant as a gathering place for Somali immigrants in the neighborhood known as Little Mogadishu and argued that many meals were delivered directly to families. He told the jury that if he was making good food, people would come to him.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel imposed the sentence. Said’s attorney, Samuel Savage, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and the sentencing memo filed before the hearing remained unavailable to the public. Said was convicted in 2025 alongside Aimee Bock, the leader of the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, who is serving a 42-year sentence for designing the overall recruitment plan.

The Minnesota fraud cases have drawn national attention and repeated criticism from President Donald Trump. State auditors found that the Minnesota Department of Education received numerous complaints about Feeding Our Future but often instructed the group to police itself. In January, Governor Tim Walz announced he would not seek reelection after sustained political pressure regarding the theft in federal programs.