Minnesota man sentenced to 30 years for pandemic food fraud

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 29 Oct, 09:32 · Archive

Salim Said was sentenced to 30 years in prison for defrauding a US federal food programme during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Salim Said, a 37-year-old who operated Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for defrauding a federal food programme during the COVID-19 pandemic. US District Judge Nancy Brasel told Said on Wednesday: 'You took more than taxpayers' dollars to enrich yourself. You took the reputation of our state down with you.'

The government said Said was responsible for $44 million in fraud, some of which was committed by others he recruited. He was accused of vastly overstating meal numbers when seeking payment for providing food to needy children. While FBI cameras recorded approximately 40 people collecting food daily, prosecutors said in court filings that Said claimed a 'ridiculous daily distribution of 6,000 meals'. Prosecutors stated: 'The defendant and his sites did not serve thousands of children; he served a calculated, lucrative lie.'

Said, who was born in Somalia, initially denied the allegations at trial in 2025, claiming many meals were delivered off-site. However, he expressed remorse at sentencing. His defence attorney Barry Zone, who had requested a 12-year sentence, disputed that Said was the 'architect' of the fraud as the government alleged. The case is part of a broader scheme in Minnesota that has resulted in dozens of convictions, drawing repeated criticism from President Donald Trump.

How it is being reported

• Minnesota food fraudster Salim Said sentenced to 30 years in prison for ‘Feeding Our Future’ schemeThe government said he was responsible for $44 million in fraud, some of which was committed by others he recruited.New York Post · 29 Oct, 09:13
• 30-year sentence in Minnesota fraud that drew Trump backlashGovernment says Salim Said hit the jackpot in a scheme claiming to feed needy children during the COVID-19 pandemic.Al Jazeera · 29 Oct, 03:00

In this story: Salim Said · Safari Restaurant · Minnesota · Minneapolis · Nancy Brasel · Barry Zone · Donald Trump

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