Full Breakdown
Manjit Singh Bedi Arrested in India Over Alleged SNAP Fraud
9/6/2026, 6:14:41 AM
Core Event
Punjab police detained 65-year-old Manjit Singh Bedi, an India-born U.S. citizen, on a Friday after the FBI added him to its Most Wanted Fraudsters list. Bedi, who operated an Asian grocery store in Tacoma, Washington, is accused of a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) scheme that prosecutors say siphoned at least $600,000 from the federal program. A federal arrest warrant for violating release conditions was issued on May 21, 2026. Bedi’s trial in the Western District of Washington had been scheduled for June 22, 2026, but he failed to appear after fleeing to Canada and then India. Indian authorities arrested him under local cheating and illegal-immigration statutes and are now handling the custody issue while the United States seeks extradition under the U.S.–India treaty.
Background & Context
SNAP provides electronic benefit transfer (Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT)) cards to low-income households for food purchases. According to the indictment, Bedi’s store was approved to accept SNAP cards in early 2024. Prosecutors allege that, instead of selling eligible food, Bedi swiped customers’ cards, gave them roughly half the value in cash, and kept the remainder. Over more than a year, this “cash-for-benefits” pattern allegedly resulted in the loss of at least $600,000 in grocery benefits that were never delivered.
Official Statements & Responses
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division said the arrest demonstrates the Justice Department’s global reach and affirmed that the Fraud Division will continue working with the FBI to hold fraudsters accountable wherever they hide.
Data & Statistics
- The FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters initiative, launched in June, has secured five arrests in three months, totaling nearly 4,000 combined days on the run.
- The bureau offered a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to Bedi’s capture.
- Each wire-fraud count carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of $250,000.
Verbatim Quotes
“Five Most Wanted Fraudsters captured in just three months is a historic success for this initiative,” — FBI Director Kash Patel