Indian-Origin FBI Most Wanted Fraud Suspect Returned to US After Arrest in India
WASHINGTON — Manjit Singh Bedi, an Indian-origin grocery store owner accused of defrauding a federal food assistance program of at least $600,000, has been returned to the United States following his arrest in India, U.S. authorities said.
Bedi, 64, of Kent, Washington, was on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list after allegedly fleeing the country following his indictment on federal fraud charges earlier this year.
He arrived in the Western District of Washington on the night of October 14 after being transferred to federal agents, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Tacoma on Friday.
“BACK IN THE U.S. – Manjit Singh Bedi, one of the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters, arrested in September in India,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X.
Authorities did not specify whether Bedi was extradited or deported from India.
“Thank you to FBI Seattle, as well our brilliant law enforcement partners here in the U.S. and in India, for assisting in securing Bedi’s return,” Patel said.
According to federal prosecutors, Bedi owned and operated The Asian Grocery Store in Tacoma, which received authorization to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in February 2024.
Beginning in March 2024, investigators allege, Bedi exchanged cash for customers’ SNAP benefits at approximately 50 cents on the dollar, allowing him to collect federal food assistance payments for groceries that were never sold.
Prosecutors estimate that the alleged scheme generated at least $600,000 in fraudulent benefits before it was uncovered in June 2025.
Bedi was indicted on wire fraud and SNAP benefit fraud charges in April. He pleaded not guilty on April 22 but left the United States for India within a week, according to the Justice Department.
The FBI added him to its Most Wanted Fraudsters list on September 3. Indian law enforcement authorities subsequently located and arrested him.
Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd praised the cooperation between American and Indian authorities in securing Bedi’s return.
“I commend the work of the FBI and international partners to get Mr. Bedi back to the US to face justice,” Floyd said.
“We will ask the court to detain him pending trial as he has demonstrated he has the will and the means to flee. Those who take advantage of America’s generosity must be held accountable,” he added.
Patel described Bedi’s return as part of a broader effort to apprehend fugitives overseas and bring them back to face criminal proceedings in the United States.
He said federal authorities had completed more than 260 removal actions over 20 months, an increase of approximately 70% over the preceding comparable period.
Bedi is also among six suspects apprehended since the FBI established its Most Wanted Fraudsters list three months ago, Patel said.
If convicted, Bedi faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the wire fraud and SNAP benefit fraud charges.
The allegations against Bedi have not been proven in court, and he is presumed innocent unless convicted. (Source: IANS)
