Minnesota food fraud: Restaurant owner gets 30 years

A Minneapolis restaurant owner received a 30-year prison sentence on Wednesday for his role in a massive federal food fraud scheme. Salim Said, who operated Safari Restaurant, was found liable for $44 million in fraudulent claims made during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sentencing marks the latest legal conclusion in a case that has drawn national scrutiny due to its scale and political implications.

Said was accused of exaggerating the number of meals his business provided to eligible children. Prosecutors stated that he claimed to distribute 6,000 meals daily. FBI surveillance footage contradicted this figure, showing only 40 people collecting food per day. The government alleged that the children listed in his reimbursement forms were fictitious, allowing him to submit 21 consecutive months of fraudulent claims.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel noted that Said used taxpayer money to enrich himself and damaged the state's reputation. "You took more than taxpayers’ dollars to enrich yourself. You took the reputation of our state down with you," Brasel said. During the trial in 2025, Said denied the charges, arguing that many meals were delivered off-site. At the sentencing hearing, he expressed remorse, a shift from his previous stance.

Defense attorney Barry Zone argued that Said was not the primary architect of the fraud. Zone requested a 12-year sentence, contending that the government had overestimated Said's control over the operation. The government, however, pointed to Said's personal gains as evidence of his central role. Investigators found that he purchased a $1.2 million home, commercial real estate, and an $87,000 pickup truck using the funds.

The scheme was led by Aimee Bock, the head of the nonprofit Feeding Our Future. Bock received a 42-year prison sentence for designing the plan to recruit participants into the federal program. She was convicted alongside Said in 2025. State auditors reported that the Minnesota Department of Education received multiple complaints about Feeding Our Future. Auditors found that the department frequently advised the group to monitor itself rather than conducting external reviews.

The fraud has influenced state politics, with President Donald Trump citing the theft as a reason for an immigration crackdown in Minnesota's major cities. In January, Governor Tim Walz announced he would not seek reelection. The federal program had expanded during the pandemic to include restaurants and non-school sites, a change that prosecutors said facilitated the scheme.