A 37-year-old Minneapolis restaurant operator convicted of masterminding a massive COVID-19 relief fraud has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, closing a chapter in a pandemic-era scandal that has drawn intense national scrutiny and political pressure from President Donald Trump, according to reporting by Al Jazeera.
Salim Said, who operated Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, was sentenced on Wednesday by US District Judge Nancy Brasel. Prosecutors established that Said was responsible for $44m in fraud through a federal programme designed to feed needy children during the pandemic. Government filings revealed that Said claimed a daily distribution of 6,000 meals while FBI surveillance cameras recorded only 40 people a day collecting food.
“You took more than taxpayers’ dollars to enrich yourself. You took the reputation of our state down with you,” Judge Brasel told Said during the sentencing, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The Mechanics of the $44m Scheme
The widespread fraud originated from pandemic-era flexibilities introduced to federal child nutrition programmes, which traditionally operated through schools. Under emergency rules, restaurants were permitted to participate, and food distribution expanded to non-school locations.
A man who played a key role in defrauding a US food programme in the state of Minnesota during the COVID-19 pandemic has been sentenced to 30 years in prison, in a case that has drawn intense national scrutiny and political pressure from President Trump. https://t.co/coChA2TTMS
For 21 consecutive months, prosecutors stated that Said submitted thousands of fraudulent reimbursement claims. The listed children for whom meals were purportedly provided were entirely fictitious.
The government argued that Said “hit the jackpot,” utilizing stolen funds to purchase a $1.2m home, commercial real estate, and an $87,000 pick-up truck. While Said denied the allegations during his 2025 trial—claiming many meals were delivered off-site—he ultimately changed course and expressed remorse at his sentencing. Defence attorney Barry Zone had asked the court for a 12-year prison sentence, disputing the government’s characterization of Said as the primary architect of the operation.
Wider Convictions and Political Fallout in Minnesota
Said was convicted alongside Aimee Bock, the leader of the Minnesota nonprofit Feeding Our Future. Bock received a 42-year prison sentence for devising the scheme and was ordered to repay $242m.
State auditors previously discovered that the Minnesota Department of Education received numerous complaints regarding Feeding Our Future but routinely directed the organization to police itself. The unfolding scandal generated severe political fallout across the state.
President Trump has repeatedly attacked Minnesota’s Democratic leadership over the theft of federally funded programmes, citing the failures as grounds for an immigration crackdown in the state’s largest cities. Amid the relentless criticism, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced in January that he would not seek re-election.
Keep reading
Keeping an eye on the polls – KOB 4
As the 2026 midterms approach, a non-partisan effort is unfolding across New Mexico to bridge the widening gap...
Building for Tomorrow is Better for Business Today – New York YIMBY
New York State is doubling down on a simple premise: building multifamily housing that barely touches the planet...
New York Governor Kathy Hochul responds after rapper Nicki Minaj calls her ‘evil
Rapper Nicki Minaj and New York Governor Kathy Hochul Trade Sharp Words in Final Days of Campaign New...
As Above, So Below Distillery | Santa Fe Spirits – New Mexico Magazine
Magic, Botanicals, and High-Rye Bourbon in Santa Fe Caley Shoemaker never expected a surplus of neighborhood fruit to...