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News Analysis · October 29, 2026

Minnesota Food-Fraud Defendant Gets 30 Years; Bock Earlier Received 500 Months

Permanent article number: 102926012   Find another article by number

By Radical Reading Room Newsroom · Published · From the October 29, 2026 edition

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Published by: Los Angeles Times

Judge orders 30-year prison sentence for key figure in Minnesota food fraud - Los Angeles Times — Read the exact original

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Correction: Post-publication fact review: Clarified that Salim Said's 30-year sentence was imposed October 28, while Aimee Bock's 500-month sentence was imposed earlier in May; corrected the overall fraud amount to the DOJ's approximately $250 million. This is a transparent editorial correction, not a fresh automatic pass.

Corrections and clarifications

October 29, 2026: Clarified that Salim Said's 30-year sentence was imposed October 28, while Aimee Bock's 500-month sentence was imposed earlier in May; corrected the overall fraud amount to the DOJ's approximately $250 million.

A federal judge in Minneapolis sentenced Salim Said to 30 years in prison on October 28, 2026, for defrauding a federal child nutrition program during the pandemic. Said, who operated Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, was accused of falsely claiming to serve 6,000 meals daily, while FBI footage showed only about 40 people collecting food. Prosecutors allege he was responsible for $44 million in fraud, some committed by individuals he recruited. Said, a native of Somalia, denied the claims during trial in 2025 and described his restaurant as a community hub for Somali immigrants.

Said’s attorney, Samuel Savage, did not respond to requests for comment. A sentencing memo was not publicly available. The government claims Said used fraud proceeds to purchase a $1.2 million home, commercial real estate, and an $87,000 pickup truck.

Aimee Bock, the former leader of Feeding Our Future, had already been sentenced in May 2026 to 500 months in prison (41 years and eight months) for her role in the scheme. The Justice Department described the overall scheme as involving approximately $250 million.

State auditors found irregularities in the Minnesota Department of Education’s food distribution records. The case prompted a surge in federal law enforcement in the Twin Cities, which President Trump cited as justification for an immigration crackdown.

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