Minneapolis chef Salim Said faces 30-year prison term for food fraud

U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel sentenced Salim Said to 30 years in federal prison on Wednesday for his role in a massive fraud of the Minnesota food program. The ruling concludes the legal proceedings against the former owner of Safari Restaurant, a Minneapolis establishment known for Somali cuisine. Prosecutors attributed $44 million in fraudulent payments to Said, a figure that includes money collected by individuals he recruited into the scheme.

The fraud unfolded during the 21 months of the pandemic when federal rules allowed restaurants to distribute food assistance. The program had previously operated primarily through schools. Said claimed his sites served a daily total of 6,000 meals to underprivileged children. FBI surveillance footage contradicted these claims, capturing approximately 40 people collecting food per day. Prosecutors described the listed recipients as entirely fictitious and characterized the operation as a calculated lie designed to secure payments.

Said used the proceeds to purchase a $1.2 million home, commercial real estate, and an $87,000 pickup truck. He testified at his 2025 trial that he denied the allegations, describing his restaurant as a central gathering place for Somali immigrants in the neighborhood known as Little Mogadishu. He argued that many meals were delivered directly to customers. Said told the jury, If you're making good food, people will come to you.

Said was convicted in 2025 alongside Aimee Bock, the leader of the nonprofit Feeding Our Future. Bock is serving a 42-year sentence for designing the overall recruitment strategy for the federal program. Dozens of other defendants have been convicted in the related Minnesota fraud cases. The case has drawn national political attention, with President Donald Trump criticizing state leadership for failing to stop the theft. He cited the scandal as a partial justification for an immigration crackdown in the state's major cities.

State auditors reported that the Minnesota Department of Education received numerous complaints about Feeding Our Future. The department often instructed the group to self-regulate. Governor Tim Walz announced in January that he would not seek reelection, a decision made after sustained criticism from Trump regarding the handling of federal funds. Said's attorney, Samuel Savage, filed a sentencing memo prior to the hearing, though the document was not released to the public. Savage did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the verdict.