Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to hand down a 40-year prison sentence for Salim Said, described in court filings as the undisputed architect of the massive $250 million Feeding Our Future pandemic fraud scheme. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for Wednesday morning before Judge Nancy Brasel.
Said was convicted by a jury on nearly two dozen counts, including wire fraud, conspiracy, federal programs bribery, and money laundering. Investigators and prosecutors characterized him as the ringleader who franchised the fraudulent operation across Minnesota, making him the 32nd defendant to be sentenced in the landmark prosecution.
According to court documents, Said’s financial circumstances changed drastically after the pandemic began. Before April 2020, he operated Safari Restaurant in south Minneapolis with an annual income of roughly $30,000. After signing up as a food provider under the Feeding Our Future program, federal agents stated he began fabricating meal counts to steal millions in government funds.
Investigators noted that while paperwork submitted by Said claimed up to 6,000 children were fed daily, FBI surveillance cameras recorded an average of only 40 people showing up at the restaurant. For nearly two years, prosecutors say he used fake attendance sheets and bloated meal reports to siphon funds. The government alleges Said and his associates routed more than $44 million in illicit proceeds through Safari Restaurant and another business, Salim Limited.
Court filings detail how the illicit funds supported a luxury lifestyle. Said’s acquisitions included a $1.2 million luxury home in Plymouth featuring an indoor basketball court, commercial real estate on Park Avenue in Minneapolis, a fleet of high-end vehicles such as a Mercedes-Benz and an $87,000 custom Chevrolet Silverado, designer clothing, Rolex watches, and other luxury goods.
Prosecutors stated that Said expanded his operations beyond Minneapolis by utilizing a nonprofit called Stigma-Free International to establish phony food distribution hubs in Willmar, Mankato, and St. Cloud. By positioning Safari Restaurant as the primary vendor for these secondary sites, he allegedly submitted millions more in fraudulent invoices.
In pre-sentencing filings, prosecutors argued that a 40-year prison term is necessary to reflect the brazenness of the offenses, safeguard the public, and deter others from attempting to defraud taxpayers. They asserted that Said weaponized a federal safety net intended to feed hungry children during a vulnerable public health crisis to systematically enrich himself and his co-conspirators.
Prosecutors also pointed to Said’s behavior during his trial, stating he took the witness stand and provided testimony filled with false claims regarding million-dollar vendor contracts while showing no remorse or accountability.
Data from the U.S. Attorney’s Office indicates that the sweeping Feeding Our Future investigation has resulted in 70 convictions to date, consisting of 62 guilty pleas and eight verdicts returned at trial. When Said appears in court, he will become the 32nd individual convicted in the scheme to learn his sentence.
