WASHINGTON: India-born US citizen Manjit Singh Bedi, the fifth fugitive targeted under a US federal agency’s Most Wanted Fraudsters initiative, has been arrested in India in connection with a $600,000 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fraud scheme in the United States.
India-born Bedi was wanted for his alleged involvement in a benefits fraud scheme that defrauded the US government out of at least $600,000 between March of 2024 and June of 2025, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
CAPTURED: Another FBI Most Wanted Fraudster.
This is the 5th Most Wanted Fraudster captured since the creation of the new list three months ago – and yet another high value target captured overseas. Subjects captured so far have been responsible for a combined over $2 billion… pic.twitter.com/eitoNdmX7L— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) September 5, 2026
The FBI’s fifth most wanted fraudster was arrested in India on Friday, and the bureau is working to return the SNAP benefits fraud suspect to the United States, Fox News reported.
Bedi operated a small grocery store in Tacoma, Washington, called Asian Grocery Store, the FBI said in a statement. He purportedly sold food to participants of the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (SNAP) through their EBT cards.
However, instead of selling participants food, India-born Bedi is alleged to have swiped their cards and given them cash, keeping half of the proceeds for himself, the FBI claimed.
How most wanted fraudster flee to India?
After being indicted for wire fraud and SNAP benefits fraud, Bedi was allowed to appear in court without being arrested. He was ordered to give up his passport and remain in Washington state.
However, Bedi soon drove across the border to Canada and then fled to India, the FBI stated.
On May 21, 2026, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Bedi in the United States District Court, Western District of Washington, Tacoma, Washington, after he was charged with Violations of Conditions of Supervision.
Manjit Singh Bedi—accused of stealing $600K from American taxpayers and families in need—ran for a year.
Less than ONE DAY after being placed on the @FBI Most Wanted Fraudsters List, he was FOUND and CAPTURED. @VP Vance and @FBIDirectorKash have made it clear: If you steal… https://t.co/7K4FolI5wT
— White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud (@WHFraudTF) September 8, 2026
The FBI worked with Indian authorities to secure Bedi’s arrest and is actively working to return him to the US to face charges, according to the bureau.
Bedi’s arrest is the fifth through the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters initiative, which targets fugitives accused of major financial crimes.
Launched in June, the initiative has led to the arrests of five fugitives whom the FBI says are collectively accused of more than $2 billion in alleged fraud after spending nearly 4,000 combined days on the run.
FBI officials say the latest arrest underscores the bureau’s effort to pursue alleged fraudsters who fled overseas in an attempt to evade prosecution.
“Five Most Wanted Fraudsters captured in just three months is a historic success for this initiative,” FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News. “The days of taking advantage of American taxpayers without consequence are over.”
The FBI had offered a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to Bedi’s arrest and conviction. The bureau said the naturalized US citizen was believed to be living in India before his arrest.
“As this arrest in India shows, the Justice Department’s reach extends to every corner of the planet,” Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division said.
“The Fraud Division will continue to work hand-in-hand with the FBI to ensure fraudsters like Bedi are held accountable, no matter where they hide.”
Indian nationals’ involvement in crimes in US
The Bedi case comes amid a series of US investigations into fraud and other crimes involving India-based networks or Indian nationals.
In July, the US Justice Department said law-enforcement agencies in the United States, Canada and Europe had arrested 24 accused linked to three India-based organised crime groups.
US prosecutors said the crime groups were allegedly involved in racketeering, targeted killings, shootings, extortion, kidnappings, drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and human smuggling.
The operation, dubbed “Operation Hard Ball”, followed a years-long investigation into transnational criminal networks.
US authorities have also prosecuted Indian nationals in a range of financial and cyber-enabled crimes. In 2024, an Indian national pleaded guilty in the United States to a cryptocurrency fraud scheme that prosecutors said stole more than $37 million by spoofing the Coinbase website.
In another case, an Indian national was sentenced in 2025 to 63 months in prison after prosecutors said he participated in a scheme that defrauded elderly Americans of more than $2.6 million through phishing and impersonation of US government officials.
