Salim Said, a key figure in a massive pandemic-era food fraud scheme in Minnesota, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. Said, who operated Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, was found responsible for $44 million in fraud, which involved falsifying claims about meals provided to needy children.
US District Judge Nancy Brasel stated that Said not only took taxpayer money to enrich himself but also damaged the state's reputation. Prosecutors detailed how Said claimed a daily distribution of 6,000 meals while FBI surveillance showed only about 40 people collecting food, indicating a significant inflation of numbers for financial gain. "The defendant and his sites did not serve thousands of children; he served a calculated, lucrative lie," prosecutors argued.
The fraud occurred within a federal program that typically supplied meals through schools. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the program was expanded to allow restaurants to participate and distribute food outside of school settings. Said allegedly made fraudulent reimbursement claims for 21 consecutive months, stating fictitious meals were provided to underprivileged children.
Said, originally from Somalia, had initially denied the allegations, claiming that many meals were delivered off-site. However, during his sentencing, he expressed remorse. His defense attorney had requested a 12-year sentence and disputed the government's portrayal of Said as the "architect" of the scheme.
Investigators found that Said used the illicit funds to purchase a $1.2 million home, commercial real estate, and an $87,000 pickup truck. He was convicted in 2025 on a series of charges alongside Aimee Bock, the executive director of the nonprofit Feeding Our Future. Bock, who devised the overall plan, is currently serving a 42-year prison sentence and was ordered to repay $242 million.
State auditors noted that the Minnesota Department of Education received multiple complaints about Feeding Our Future but often directed the organization to self-regulate. The widespread fraud in Minnesota gained national attention, with then-President Donald Trump criticizing the state's governor and linking the issue to immigration policy. In January, Gov. Tim Walz announced he would not seek reelection amid the fallout from the scandal.