A man accused of orchestrating a $600,000 food-benefits fraud scheme in Washington state before fleeing the country has been arrested in Jalandhar, Punjab, becoming the fifth fugitive captured under the FBI’s “Most Wanted Fraudsters” initiative in three months.
Authorities identified the suspect as Manjit Singh Bedi, who was taken into custody with the assistance of Jalandhar police and Indian authorities. The FBI said it is now working to return him to the United States to face federal charges.
The alleged scheme
Federal investigators allege that between March 2024 and June 2025, Bedi defrauded the U.S. government of at least $600,000 through a scheme involving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) while operating an Asian grocery store in Tacoma. According to the FBI, Bedi swiped SNAP recipients’ Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, handed the cardholders cash instead of processing eligible food purchases, and kept roughly half of the benefit amounts for himself.
How he allegedly fled
Bedi was indicted on wire fraud and SNAP benefits fraud charges. As a condition of release while awaiting court proceedings, he was ordered to surrender his passport and remain in Washington state. Investigators allege he instead drove across the border into Canada before ultimately reaching India, where he is a naturalized U.S. citizen. A federal warrant charging him with violating the conditions of his release was issued May 21, 2026, and the FBI had offered a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to his arrest.
Part of a broader initiative
Bedi’s capture is the fifth under the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters initiative, launched in June to target fugitives accused of major financial crimes; the bureau said around the time of his arrest it was also adding three new names to the list, Onur Simsek and Bernhard Eugen Fritsch among them. 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 added: “As this arrest in India shows, the Justice Department’s reach extends to every corner of the planet. 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 using electronic communications to carry out a scheme to defraud victims of money or property; SNAP benefits fraud typically involves misusing federal food-assistance funds, such as exchanging EBT benefits for cash rather than eligible purchases. Both are federal offenses carrying significant potential prison time.
Bedi has not been convicted of any of the charges against him and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Further court proceedings are expected once he is extradited.
Sources: FBI, Fox News, Fox 13 Seattle, Free Press Journal.
