Owner of Tacoma grocery store, who fled when indicted for food stamp fraud, returned from India to face charges

Seattle- The 64-year-old owner of a small Tacoma market will appear tomorrow in U.S. District Court in Tacoma after being returned from India, where he fled after being indicted for wire fraud in connection with his food stamp fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Manjit Bedi, of Kent, Washington, pleaded not guilty on April 22, 2026, and within a week had fled the United States to his native India.

On September 3, 2026, Bedi was added to the FBI's "Most Wanted Fraudster" list with his image and information on the case disseminated internationally. Law enforcement in India quickly took Bedi into custody. He was turned over to federal agents and arrived in the

Western District of Washington last night.

"I commend the work of the FBI and international partners to get Mr. Bedi back to the U.S. to face justice," said Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. "We will ask the court to detain him pending trial as he has demonstrated he has the will and the means to flee. Those who take advantage of America's generosity must be held accountable."

"The arrest and return of Manjit Singh Bedi marks yet another significant moment for the historic FBI's Most Wanted Fraudsters program," said FBI Director Kash Patel. "Bedi is one of six Most Wanted Fraudsters captured since the creation of the new list three months ago - and yet another high value target captured overseas - he is in a group responsible for more than a combined $2 billion in fraud and has been on the run for almost 4,000 days collectively prior to arrest. He is charged with defrauding the U.S. of at least $600k in SNAP funds from approximately 2024 to 2025 and now will face justice for his alleged crimes. This is the latest in a tremendously successful run of returning high value targets to the U.S. by engaging with foreign partners - with over 260 removal actions in just 20 months, up over approximately 70% from the previous period. Thank you to FBI Seattle, as well our brilliant law enforcement partners here in the U.S. and in India, for assisting in securing Bedi's return."

"This fraudster tried to escape justice by fleeing to his home country of India. Now the long arm of the law has brought him back to the United States to face the consequences for his crimes," said USDA Inspector General John Walk. "Stealing SNAP benefits - food assistance benefits intended for low-income Americans - is wrong and no matter where they run, we will not stop pursuing those who perpetrate these crimes against the poorest Americans and the American taxpayer."

"Thanks to the hard work of FBI Seattle investigators and our international law enforcement partners, as well as tips from the public about the subject's whereabouts, Mr. Bedi has been returned to the United States to face justice in a Tacoma courtroom," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "No matter how far someone may flee and no matter how long it may take, the FBI is committed to pursuing those who attempt to outrun the consequences of their criminal actions, even when they seek to evade the justice system by hiding overseas."

The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

According to the indictment, Bedi owned and operated a small grocery store in Tacoma. In February 2024, the store was authorized to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits - formerly known as food stamps. The indictment alleges that beginning in March 2024, Bedi agreed to provide SNAP recipients with cash in exchange for the money loaded on their electronic benefits card (EBT) at a rate of 50 cents on the dollar. For example, Bedi would charge $200 against a recipient's EBT card, providing $100 in cash to the recipient and keeping the recipient's other $100 as profit. The indictment alleges that between March 2024 and June 2025, when his fraud was discovered, Bedi pocketed at least $600,000 in SNAP benefits for food items that were never sold.

Both wire fraud and SNAP benefit fraud are punishable by up to twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG), the FBI, and the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).

The FBI launched the Most Wanted Fraudsters list with 8 individuals on June 4, 2026, a new wanted list dedicated to publicly identifying individuals charged with defrauding the American people. Since then, 18 people have been added in total, and 6 have been captured. As of October 14, 2026, 12 individuals are included on the list, but no set number are featured at any given time. The list is separate from the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and is intended to increase visibility and generate information that may assist law enforcement in locating wanted fraud suspects. Learn more about the list: FBI Announces New Wanted List Dedicated to Fraudsters

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Victoria Cantore. The Department of Justice's Office of International Affairs assisted with the return of Bedi from India.