Manjit Singh Bedi, whom federal authorities accuse of taking more than $600,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, has been returned to the United States after being arrested in India in September, FBI Director Kash Patel said Oct. 16, 2026.
Bedi was named among the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters and faces federal charges tied to an alleged scheme at an Asian grocery store in Tacoma, Washington. The allegations concern conduct federal officials say took place from March 2024 through June 2025. The supplied information does not report a conviction or a response from Bedi to the accusations.
According to the FBI, Bedi allegedly obtained SNAP recipients’ Electronic Benefit Transfer cards, gave them cash rather than eligible food purchases, and kept about half of the benefits. Authorities say the scheme caused at least $600,000 in losses to the federal government.
Federal officials say that after being indicted in connection with the alleged scheme, Bedi drove to Canada and later fled to India. A federal arrest warrant alleging that he violated the terms of his release was issued May 21, 2026. Patel said Indian authorities arrested him in September and that he has now been brought back to the United States.
Patel described Bedi’s return as part of a broader effort to bring wanted people back with help from foreign law enforcement agencies. He said U.S. authorities had secured 260 extraditions and removals over the previous 20 months, an increase of more than 70% compared with the preceding 20-month period. Those figures were provided by Patel; the supplied material does not include independent documentation of them.
The FBI director also said Bedi was the sixth fugitive captured through the Most Wanted Fraudsters program since its creation three months earlier. Before his arrest, the FBI had offered a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to Bedi’s arrest and conviction. Patel said Bedi would face the allegations in the United States and thanked law enforcement partners who assisted in the case.
The case concerns alleged misuse of SNAP, a federal program that helps eligible households buy food. The FBI’s description says recipients’ benefits were exchanged for cash and then divided, rather than used for qualifying food purchases. The accusations remain allegations, and the source material does not provide further details about the charges, court proceedings, or the next steps in the case.
