MINNESOTA: Salim Said gets 30 years in Feeding Our Future case
U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel sentenced Salim Said, 37, former co-owner of Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, to 30 years in federal prison on Wednesday. A jury convicted him in 2025 on all 21 counts, including wire fraud, bribery and money laundering, in the Feeding Our Future scheme that exploited a federal child meal program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prosecutors say Said and other defendants tied to Safari stole $44 million. He was ordered to forfeit $7.8 million, two vehicles and real estate. His attorney argued that Feeding Our Future leader Aimee Bock controlled the money; Said told the court he was "deeply sorry."
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Why it matters
The money came from a federal program meant to feed children during the pandemic. His is the third-longest term among the 32 people sentenced so far in the case, and he must forfeit $7.8 million, two vehicles and real estate.
Sources
- MPR News: Salim Said, central organizer of Feeding Our Future scheme, gets 30 years
- Al Jazeera (AP): 30-year sentence in Minnesota fraud
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