Abdi Nur Salah, convicted fraudster (but not yet sentenced) and former senior aide to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, found himself back in federal court this afternoon, accused of violating the terms of his conditional release.
Salah has pled guilty to a felony and was convicted for his role in the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal, that he participated in while on the city payroll assisting the mayor with policy work.
Salah was indicted back in September 2022 along with the Safari Restaurant group of Feeding Our Future fraud defendants. He pled guilty in January 2025. His plea agreement includes sentencing guidelines of around 2 years in federal prison, give or take a few months. He agreed to pay restitution of more than $1 million.
As he awaits his sentencing, currently scheduled for October 1, he has remained free on a conditional bond. However, over the summer, he’s picked up two state cases that were the subject of today’s federal court hearing.
Back in July, Salah, now aged 38, was picked up by the state patrol at 5 a.m. on I-94 in Minneapolis on suspicion of driving while impaired. Specifically, he was charged with refusing a court-ordered blood test, a gross misdemeanor. He’s due back in court on September 16.
On August 16, city cops found Salah parked in a no parking zone with the motor running. He was arrested and charged with felony-level possession of fentanyl. It appears that he was stuck in county jail until this morning when he was picked up by the U.S. Marshals service. He’s due back in state court on that charge on October 5.
For now, he’ll be spending the long holiday weekend in federal custody at the Sherburne County jail. His latest mugshot:
His next court hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9, when prosecutors will argue for his continued detention ahead of his October federal sentencing.
Well, my mother told my father
Just before I was born,
“I got a boy child’s coming,
He’s gonna be a rolling stone.”