FBI’s Most Wanted Fraud Suspect Manjit Singh Bedi Returned To US From India

Manjit Singh Bedi, an Indian-born naturalised US citizen who was placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list over an alleged $600,000 food-benefits fraud scheme, has been returned to the United States from India, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said on Friday.

Bedi was arrested in Jalandhar, Punjab, in September after US authorities accused him of defrauding the government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (SNAP). His return follows cooperation between US and Indian law enforcement agencies.

The FBI said Bedi’s wanted poster helped generate information that led to his location in India. “There is not a place in the world where the FBI’s wanted posters cannot reach,” said Mike Herrington, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office, according to a statement cited by The Times of India. The bureau described the case as another example of cooperation with foreign law enforcement partners to bring wanted suspects back to the US.

The FBI said Bedi is accused of being involved in a scheme that caused losses of at least $600,000 to the US government between March 2024 and June 2025. He had been added to the bureau’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list on September 3, with a reward of up to $150,000 offered for information leading to his arrest and conviction.

What Is The Alleged SNAP Fraud Case?

According to the FBI, Bedi operated Asian Grocery Store in Tacoma, Washington, where he allegedly used customers’ Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to process transactions under SNAP.

Instead of providing groceries, he is accused of giving beneficiaries cash in exchange for their benefits and keeping half of the proceeds. The programme provides food assistance to eligible low-income individuals and families in the US.

The FBI said Bedi was indicted on wire-fraud and SNAP-benefits-fraud charges, but was initially allowed to appear in court without being arrested. He was ordered to surrender his passport and remain in Washington state.

Authorities allege that he later crossed into Canada and travelled to India. A federal arrest warrant was issued on May 21, 2026, after he was charged with violating the conditions of his supervision.

Punjab Police announced Bedi’s arrest in Jalandhar in early September. The state’s police chief said the arrest followed information received by local authorities, while local reports said Bedi was apprehended in the Paragpur area. Police also registered a case in India.

The FBI’s subsequent announcement that Bedi had returned to the US marks a new stage in the proceedings, though the charges against him remain allegations until proven in court.

FBI Highlights International Cooperation

The FBI launched its Most Wanted Fraudsters list on June 4, 2026, with eight individuals accused of defrauding the American public. The list is separate from the bureau’s long-running Ten Most Wanted Fugitives programme and is intended to publicise cases involving financial fraud and encourage people to share information that could help locate suspects.

When Bedi was added to the list on September 3, the FBI said 16 individuals had been featured since its launch and four had been captured. His case was among those highlighted as the bureau sought public assistance in locating suspects accused of financial crimes.

The FBI also said that, over the preceding 20 months, US authorities had secured 260 extraditions and removals, an increase of more than 70 per cent compared with the previous 20-month period. The bureau credited cooperation with foreign law enforcement agencies for helping return wanted individuals to the United States.

Bedi’s return places him back within the US legal system to face the charges connected to the alleged benefits-fraud scheme. The FBI has stressed that the charges are allegations and that he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.