Judge moves to seize assets of FOF fraudster Salim Said

A federal judge has issued a preliminary forfeiture order clearing the way for the government to seize more than half a million dollars in bank funds, three properties (including one on Park Avenue South in Minneapolis and another in Plymouth), two 2021 vehicles, electronics, and a cache of luxury clothing, jewelry and accessories from Salim Said, the Safari Restaurant co‑owner convicted in the $250 million Feeding Our Future scheme. The order, signed by Judge Nancy Brasel, itemizes roughly $514,000 in Bell Bank and Wells Fargo accounts, real estate in Minneapolis, Plymouth and Columbus, Ohio, a Chevrolet Silverado, a Mercedes‑Benz GLA, multiple MacBooks and a PlayStation, along with high‑end goods from brands like Christian Louboutin, Balenciaga, Burberry, Prada, Versace and Rolex. Brasel also imposed a $7.84 million money‑judgment forfeiture; Said will get credit against that total for the net value of what’s actually seized, but the preliminary order is not final until sentencing. Said was found guilty in March 2025 on 21 counts — including wire fraud, bribery and money laundering — for claiming Safari’s Lake Street site was feeding 5,000 children a day and siphoning pandemic child‑nutrition dollars, and prosecutors used his pre‑COVID tax returns (showing $30,000 in income and $624,000 in gross restaurant revenue) to dismantle his claim that he’d simply scaled up a legitimate business. The forfeiture details put hard numbers on how much federal investigators say was converted into personal wealth, adding another layer of accountability in a scandal that has already fueled statewide Medicaid and grant crackdowns and intense public anger in the Twin Cities over pandemic profiteering.