--- title: "Judge sentences Salim Said to 30 years in federal prison in Feeding Our Future case" description: "Prosecutors asked for 40 years and the defense asked for 12, and the judge told Said he took the state's reputation down with him." url: https://legal.skoop.news/apos-central-organizer-apos-of-feeding-our-future-scheme-get--10-31/ published: 2026-10-31T11:34:02.331154-04:00 modified: 2026-10-31T11:34:02.331197-04:00 section: "Legal & Consumer Rights" publisher: "skoop.news" language: en keywords: ["feeding our future", "District Judge Nancy Brasel", "Abdikerm Eidleh", "Barry Zone", "Lake Street", "Safari Restaurant", "U.S", "Bock", "Somalia", "FBI"] hashtags: ["#DistrictJudgeNancyBrasel", "#FeedingOurFuture", "#AbdikermEidleh", "#Judge", "#law"] image: https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Courthouse_240.jpg/1280px-Courthouse_240.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail --- # Judge sentences Salim Said to 30 years in federal prison in Feeding Our Future case > Prosecutors asked for 40 years and the defense asked for 12, and the judge told Said he took the state's reputation down with him. Published 2026-10-31 · Updated 2026-10-31 · Legal & Consumer Rights, [skoop.news](https://skoop.news/) ## In brief - U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel sentenced Salim Said to 30 years in federal prison on a Wednesday. [[1]](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/28/central-organizer-of-feeding-our-future-scheme-gets-30-years) - In their sentencing memo, prosecutors described Said as the ringleader and 'undisputed architect' who essentially 'franchised' the fraudulent operation across the state. [[2]](https://www.fox9.com/news/mn-fraud-feeding-our-future-scheme-architect-salim-said-sentenced) - Defense attorney Barry Zone said Said had a traumatic childhood in Somalia in which he was verbally, physically and sexually abused. [[1]](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/28/central-organizer-of-feeding-our-future-scheme-gets-30-years) ## The sentence U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel sentenced Salim Said to 30 years in federal prison on a Wednesday. [[1]](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/28/central-organizer-of-feeding-our-future-scheme-gets-30-years) Said is the co-owner of the former Safari Restaurant on Lake Street in Minneapolis. [[1]](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/28/central-organizer-of-feeding-our-future-scheme-gets-30-years) Prosecutors asked for a 40-year sentence for Said, while his defense attorneys asked for only 12 years. [[2]](https://www.fox9.com/news/mn-fraud-feeding-our-future-scheme-architect-salim-said-sentenced) The sentence falls between the two requests. [[1]](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/28/central-organizer-of-feeding-our-future-scheme-gets-30-years) [[2]](https://www.fox9.com/news/mn-fraud-feeding-our-future-scheme-architect-salim-said-sentenced) His sentence also requires three years of supervised release after prison. [[1]](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/28/central-organizer-of-feeding-our-future-scheme-gets-30-years) Because Said is a legal permanent U.S. resident, he could face deportation. [[1]](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/28/central-organizer-of-feeding-our-future-scheme-gets-30-years) ## What prosecutors say Said did In their sentencing memo, prosecutors described Said as the ringleader and 'undisputed architect' who essentially 'franchised' the fraudulent operation across the state. [[2]](https://www.fox9.com/news/mn-fraud-feeding-our-future-scheme-architect-salim-said-sentenced) They say he expanded it through a nonprofit that purported to operate food distribution sites in Willmar, St. Cloud and Mankato. [[2]](https://www.fox9.com/news/mn-fraud-feeding-our-future-scheme-architect-salim-said-sentenced) Safari claimed to serve thousands of meals per day, but FBI surveillance showed an average of just 40 people per day stopping to collect food. [[2]](https://www.fox9.com/news/mn-fraud-feeding-our-future-scheme-architect-salim-said-sentenced) Said also paid bribes to Feeding Our Future employee Abdikerm Eidleh, who was arrested in Somalia in June and returned to the U.S. [[1]](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/28/central-organizer-of-feeding-our-future-scheme-gets-30-years) ## The defense case Defense attorney Barry Zone said Said had a traumatic childhood in Somalia in which he was verbally, physically and sexually abused. [[1]](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/28/central-organizer-of-feeding-our-future-scheme-gets-30-years) Zone said Said was once left tied to a tree in an isolated area with wild animals. [[1]](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/28/central-organizer-of-feeding-our-future-scheme-gets-30-years) Zone also argued that Said was not in the position of Bock, saying she signed every check and was the gatekeeper of all the money. [[1]](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/28/central-organizer-of-feeding-our-future-scheme-gets-30-years) Bock was convicted of leading a scheme to steal several hundred million dollars from taxpayer-funded child nutrition programs through fraudulent reimbursement claims. [[1]](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/28/central-organizer-of-feeding-our-future-scheme-gets-30-years) Said apologized for his crimes, saying he was deeply sorry for his involvement in the case. [[1]](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/28/central-organizer-of-feeding-our-future-scheme-gets-30-years) ## What the judge said Brasel told Said that he took more than taxpayer money to enrich himself and took the reputation of the state down with him. [[1]](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/28/central-organizer-of-feeding-our-future-scheme-gets-30-years) She said Said was responsible for the breaking of the public's faith in government. [[2]](https://www.fox9.com/news/mn-fraud-feeding-our-future-scheme-architect-salim-said-sentenced) Brasel said she had a hard time connecting Said's background with the greed that drove the fraud. [[1]](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/28/central-organizer-of-feeding-our-future-scheme-gets-30-years) She noted he had a good restaurant job and was not in a financial tough spot. [[1]](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/28/central-organizer-of-feeding-our-future-scheme-gets-30-years) ## Who the victims are Prosecutors argued that public programs depend on trust and that Said's crime will continue to impact the state for generations. [[2]](https://www.fox9.com/news/mn-fraud-feeding-our-future-scheme-architect-salim-said-sentenced) Kline said the victims are the state, its taxpayers, and people who rely on public institutions. [[3]](https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/former-safari-restaurant-owner-salim-said-sentenced-to-30-years-for-role-in-feeding-our-future-fraud-case/) ## Sources 1. ['Central organizer' of Feeding Our Future scheme gets 30 years](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/28/central-organizer-of-feeding-our-future-scheme-gets-30-years) — mprnews.org 2. [MN fraud: Feeding Our Future scheme 'architect' Salim Said sentenced](https://www.fox9.com/news/mn-fraud-feeding-our-future-scheme-architect-salim-said-sentenced) — fox9.com 3. [Former Safari Restaurant owner Salim Said sentenced to 30 years for role in Feeding Our Future fraud case](https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/former-safari-restaurant-owner-salim-said-sentenced-to-30-years-for-role-in-feeding-our-future-fraud-case/) — kstp.com Image: Photo (illustrative): Schwede66 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Courthouse_240.jpg) --- Written from the sources above and checked twice (rules and an independent model) before publishing. How we work: https://skoop.news/how-we-work/ · Corrections: https://skoop.news/corrections/