A man accused of orchestrating a $600,000 food-benefits fraud scheme in Washington state before fleeing the country has been arrested in India, becoming the fifth fugitive captured under the FBI’s “Most Wanted Fraudsters” initiative in just three months, according to the FBI.
Authorities identified the suspect as Manjit Singh Bedi, who was taken into custody in India on Friday with the assistance of Indian authorities. The FBI said it is now working to return Bedi to the United States to face federal charges.
Federal investigators allege that between March 2024 and June 2025, Bedi defrauded the U.S. government out of at least $600,000 through a scheme involving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) while operating an Asian grocery store in Tacoma, Washington. According to the FBI, Bedi swiped SNAP recipients’ Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, gave the cardholders cash instead of processing eligible food purchases, and kept roughly half of the benefit amounts for himself.
Bedi was indicted on charges of wire fraud and SNAP benefits fraud. As a condition of his release while awaiting court proceedings, he was ordered to surrender his passport and remain in Washington state, the FBI said. Investigators allege he instead drove across the border into Canada before ultimately fleeing to India. A federal arrest warrant charging him with violating the conditions of his release was issued on May 21, 2026.
The FBI had offered a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to Bedi’s arrest and conviction, and said he was believed to have been living in India, where he is a naturalized U.S. citizen, prior to his capture.
Bedi’s arrest marks the fifth under the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters initiative, launched in June to target fugitives accused of major financial crimes. According to the bureau, the five arrests made through the program collectively involve more than $2 billion in alleged fraud, with the suspects having spent nearly 4,000 combined days evading capture.
“Five Most Wanted Fraudsters captured in just three months is a historic success for this initiative,” FBI Director Kash Patel said. “The days of taking advantage of American taxpayers without consequence are over.”
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division also commented on the arrest. “As this arrest in India shows, the Justice Department’s reach extends to every corner of the planet,” McDonald said. “The Fraud Division will continue to work hand-in-hand with the FBI to ensure fraudsters like Bedi are held accountable, no matter where they hide.”
Wire fraud generally refers to the use of electronic communications, such as phone or online transactions, to carry out a scheme to defraud victims of money or property. SNAP benefits fraud typically involves the misuse of federal food-assistance funds, such as exchanging EBT benefits for cash rather than eligible purchases. Both are federal offenses that can carry significant prison time and financial penalties upon conviction.
Bedi has not been convicted of any of the charges against him and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The FBI said it continues to work on returning him to the United States to face the pending federal charges, and further court proceedings are expected once he is extradited.
Source: Fox News
