The New Indian Express ·
Indian-origin US man added to FBI’s most wanted list over alleged USD 600,000 welfare fraud
CHANDIGARH: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has added Indian-origin man Manjit Singh Bedi to its Most Wanted Fraudsters list over an alleged welfare fraud scheme that defrauded the US government of at least $600,000 between March 2024 and June 2025. Bedi is believed to have fled to India.
In a statement, the FBI said Bedi, a naturalised US citizen who operated a grocery store in Tacoma, Washington, is believed to have fled to India. The agency has offered a $150,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
Bedi allegedly ran the Asian Grocery Store, where he is accused of swiping Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants’ Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards and giving them cash instead of food. He allegedly kept half of the proceeds.
“After being indicted for wire fraud and SNAP benefits fraud, Bedi was allowed to appear in court without being arrested. He was ordered to surrender his passport and remain in Washington state. However, Bedi soon drove across the border into Canada and then fled to India,” the FBI said.
A federal arrest warrant for Bedi was issued on 21 May this year by the US District Court for the Western District of Washington in Tacoma after he was charged with violating the conditions imposed on him. The FBI is seeking information that could lead to his arrest and conviction.
FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X: “Bedi is wanted for defrauding the U.S. of at least $600k in SNAP funds from approximately 2024 to 2025 – orchestrating a scheme out of a grocery store he operated, swiping EBT cards and keeping proceeds for himself. Bedi has been on the run for nearly a year and is believed to have fled to India – charged with wire fraud among other offences.”
US Department of Agriculture Inspector General John Walk said the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list was an important tool for raising public awareness, helping track down fugitives and bringing criminals to justice.
The FBI launched the fraudsters list in June this year in an effort to identify individuals charged with defrauding US citizens. A total of 12 individuals, including Bedi, are currently on the list. Four individuals previously added to the list have been arrested and removed.
“Today the FBI is adding THREE more alleged Fraudsters to our Most Wanted Fraudsters list with @POTUS, @VP, and the @WHFraudTF. We’ve already caught four subjects responsible for almost $2 billion in alleged fraud, on three different continents, and executed FTOCs returning all to face justice here in the U.S. They were on the run for a combined 3,500 days previously, but not anymore. We’re not slowing down,” Patel wrote in another post on X.