Overview
- Salim Said was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, after a 2025 jury convicted him on 21 counts including wire fraud, bribery, and money laundering.
- The court ordered Said to pay more than $44 million in restitution and approved forfeiture of homes, vehicles, and commercial property that prosecutors say were bought with stolen program funds.
- Prosecutors portrayed Said as an architect who 'franchised' the fraud across Minnesota by submitting fabricated meal rosters and invoices that claimed far larger child-meal distributions than FBI surveillance showed.
- Investigators say the scheme exploited COVID-era changes that let restaurants and new sponsors claim federal meal reimbursements, and they say Said used illicit proceeds to buy luxury real estate and vehicles.
- The case is part of a sprawling federal probe that has produced dozens of convictions, including ringleader Aimee Bock’s lengthy sentence, ongoing asset seizures for victim restitution, and continuing indictments in the wider investigation.