A Washington state grocery store owner who was featured on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list has been returned to the United States from India to face charges accusing him of defrauding the government of at least $600,000 in food stamp benefits.
Manjit Singh Bedi, of Kent, Washington, returned to the United States on Wednesday night. He is scheduled to appear in federal court in Tacoma on Friday, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Bedi was indicted in April 2026 and pleaded not guilty on April 22. He left the United States within a week, according to prosecutors. On Sept. 3, the FBI added him to its Most Wanted Fraudsters list, sharing information about the case internationally. Authorities in India subsequently took him into custody before he was transferred to U.S. federal agents.
According to the indictment, Bedi owned and operated The Asian Grocery Store, a small market in Tacoma that was authorized to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in February 2024.
Prosecutors allege that beginning the following month, Bedi offered customers cash in exchange for the benefits loaded onto their electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards. Under the alleged arrangement, he would charge $200 to a customer’s card, give the person $100 in cash and keep the remaining $100.
The indictment alleges that the scheme continued until June 2025, when it was discovered, and generated at least $600,000 in benefits for food that was never sold.
After Bedi fled the country, a federal arrest warrant was issued on May 21, 2026, in connection with alleged violations of the conditions imposed on him following his indictment. The FBI’s wanted notice said he had been ordered to surrender his passport and remain in Washington state.
Acting U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd said prosecutors would ask a judge to keep Bedi detained while the case proceeds, arguing that his departure from the country showed he could flee again.
FBI Director Kash Patel said Bedi was one of 6 people captured from the Most Wanted Fraudsters list since its launch in June 2026. The FBI credited its Seattle field office and law enforcement partners in India with helping secure his return.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General, the FBI and the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.
Wire fraud and SNAP benefit fraud each carry potential penalties of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Bedi has pleaded not guilty, and the charges remain allegations. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.