Judge Orders 30-Year Prison Sentence for Key Figure in Minnesota Food Fraud

A man who played a major role in defrauding a federal food program in Minnesota was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years in prison, the latest punishment in a sprawling scheme to collect millions of dollars during the COVID-19 pandemic by claiming to have fed needy children.

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Salim Said operated Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, which specialized in dishes from Somalia. He was accused of vastly overstating the number of meals when seeking payment for providing food. The government said he was responsible for $44 million in fraud, some of which was committed by others he recruited.

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Said was claiming a “ridiculous daily distribution of 6,000 meals” while FBI cameras showed 40 people a day collecting food, prosecutors said in a court filing.

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Said, a native of Somalia, denied the allegations while testifying at the trial in 2025, saying many meals were delivered off site. But at his sentencing Wednesday, he changed course and expressed remorse. Defense attorney Barry Zone, who had asked for a 12-year prison sentence, disputed that Said was the “architect” as the government alleged.

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The government said Said hit the jackpot: He bought a $1.2 million home, commercial real estate and an $87,000 pickup truck.

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