Salim Said, the man federal prosecutors called the “undisputed architect” of the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, was sentenced to 30 years in prison Wednesday and ordered to pay more than $44 million in restitution. That’s what happens when you “weaponize” a federal program meant to feed hungry children and spend the money on a gilded mansion and a fleet of luxury cars.
This is the same place Ilhan Omar was promoting in a video. Go figure, it’s like all the corrupt and crooked people stick together.
The judge didn’t hold back at sentencing, saying Said is responsible for “the breaking of the public’s faith in government.” The judge added, “It is my hope that one day the words Minnesota and fraud will not be spoken in the same sentence.” Considering this scheme hit a quarter of a billion dollars, that hope is doing a lot of heavy lifting.
Said briefly addressed the court before the sentence came down, saying he was “deeply sorry” for his involvement. Prosecutors had pushed for 40 years, while Said’s defense team argued for just 12, which tells you everything about how far apart the two sides were on what justice looks like here. Feeding Our Future fraud sentencing details how Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Kline argued that Said’s crime will “continue to impact this state for generations” because public programs depend on trust.
Said’s defense attorney Barry Zone made an emotional case for leniency, telling the judge Said “spent the first 15 years of his life in hell” and fled Somalia’s civil war, going “from refugee camp to refugee camp in Kenya” before coming to the United States. Zone also tried to draw a line between Said and ringleader Aimee Bock, arguing, “He’s not the designer of the scheme. My client at no point was he in the position of Ms. Bock.” Prosecutors weren’t buying it, describing Said as a central player who essentially “franchised” the fraudulent operation across Minnesota, expanding it through a nonprofit with fake food distribution sites in Willmar, St. Cloud, and Mankato.
Said ran Safari Restaurant in south Minneapolis, which claimed to be serving thousands of meals per day. FBI surveillance told a very different story: an average of 40 people a day actually showed up to collect food. Forty. He was billing for thousands, delivering for dozens, and pocketing the difference to buy a million-dollar Park Avenue mansion and high-end vehicles. The program was supposed to feed children in need during the pandemic.
Said was convicted on nearly two dozen counts, including wire fraud, conspiracy, federal programs bribery, and money laundering. He’s one of the key figures brought down in the $250 million Feeding Our Future scandal. Ringleader Aimee Bock was sentenced back in May to 41.5 years and ordered to pay $243 million in restitution.
The case moves forward as more prosecutions from the broader scheme continue to wind through the courts. Minnesota still has a long road to rebuilding trust in its public programs after fraudsters turned pandemic relief into a personal ATM. Somewhere, 40 people who actually showed up for a free meal had no idea they were the alibi for a $44 million heist.
Don’t forget who Democrats really are.
And look who's going to jail, now!
— Frank (@drastic215x) October 29, 2026
