An Indian-origin grocery store owner listed on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list has been handed over to United States authorities after his arrest in Punjab.
Manjit Singh Bedi, 64, was captured by the Punjab Police in Jalandhar following an international manhunt. He was wanted by federal law enforcement in connection with a major benefits fraud scheme that defrauded the US government of at least $600,000 between March 2024 and June 2025.
According to federal investigators, Bedi operated the Asian Grocery Store in Tacoma, Washington, where he engaged in trafficking Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Instead of supplying food to program participants, he allegedly swiped their Electronic Benefit Transfer cards, provided them with reduced cash payments, and retained roughly half of the government funds for himself.
Following an indictment on wire fraud and SNAP benefits charges, Bedi was permitted to appear in court without immediate arrest under strict release conditions, which included surrendering his passport and remaining in Washington state. However, he breached those terms by driving across the border into Canada before fleeing to India.
A federal arrest warrant for violating supervision conditions was issued in May 2026 by the US District Court in Tacoma, and the FBI subsequently offered a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to his capture.
The naturalised US citizen was apprehended through joint international intelligence efforts and extradited to face trial in Washington state, where charges of wire fraud and benefits fraud carry potential sentences of up to 20 years in prison.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com
