Manjit Singh Bedi, a naturalized U.S. citizen by way of India, was recently arrested by Punjab Police in Jalandhar, India. The arrest followed his inclusion on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list in connection with alleged Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits fraud and related charges in the Western District of Washington. U.S. authorities are working to return him to face the charges.
According to the FBI, Bedi operated the Asian Grocery Store in Tacoma, Washington. The store received authorization to accept SNAP benefits via Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards in February 2024. Federal investigators allege that between March 2024 and June 2025, Bedi engaged in a scheme that defrauded the U.S. government of at least $600,000.
Instead of providing eligible food items, he is alleged to have processed EBT card transactions and given recipients cash while retaining approximately half of the value.
“Beginning on March 1, 2024, and continuing through on or about June 12, 2025, in Pierce County, within the Western District of Washington, Manjit Bedi, together with others known and unknown, devised and intended to devise a scheme and artifice to defraud the United States Department of Agriculture, and obtain money and property by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, promises, and the concealment of material facts,” the indictment reads in part.
CAPTURED: Another FBI Most Wanted Fraudster.
This is the 5th Most Wanted Fraudster captured since the creation of the new list three months ago – and yet another high value target captured overseas. Subjects captured so far have been responsible for a combined over $2 billion… pic.twitter.com/eitoNdmX7L— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) September 5, 2026
Prosecutors further alleged in the Bedi and SNAP recipients entered into agreements under which the SNAP recipient agreed to provide Bedi with his or her EBT card and PIN. BEDI agreed to pay the SNAP recipient a portion of the value of the benefits remaining on the EBT card.
For example, a recipient might provide BEDI with an EBT card loaded with $200 in benefits in return for a $100 cash payment from Bedi to the recipient.
It continued, “The transactions caused the SNAP program to pay Bedi for the supposed groceries. For each such fraudulent occurrence, Bedi would split the proceeds with the SNAP recipient.” Additionally, “Instead of providing the SNAP recipient with groceries as represented to FNS, Bedi gave the cardholder an agreed-upon amount of cash. For each occurrence, Bedi typically profited at a rate of 50 cents on each dollar of SNAP benefits redeemed.”
The indictment noted that each transaction “caused and relied upon an interstate wire signal that authorized electronic payments from the SNAP program to the Asian Grocery Store’s bank account,” supporting the wire fraud counts.
Bedi was indicted in April 2026 on multiple counts of wire fraud and SNAP benefits fraud. Each count carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He was permitted to appear in court without arrest, ordered to surrender his passport, and required to remain in Washington state.
Authorities allege he instead drove across the border into Canada and traveled to India. A federal arrest warrant for violations of conditions of supervision was issued on May 21, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Tacoma.
The FBI offered a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction. The case involves the FBI, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General, and the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
Bedi’s arrest in India occurred in connection with a separate local case under the Punjab Travel Professionals’ Regulation Act and sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to cheating and criminal breach of trust.
“Five Most Wanted Fraudsters captured in just three months is a historic success for this initiative. The days of taking advantage of American taxpayers without consequence are over,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.
