FBI-Wanted Grocery Store Owner Caught in India After Fleeing $600,000 SNAP Fraud Charges
Finn's Take· TL;DR- Tacoma grocery store owner defrauded SNAP program of $600,000 by exchanging EBT cards for cash, pocketing half while giving recipients the remainder.
- After indictment, Bedi fled to India despite orders to surrender passport; FBI placed him on newly created Most Wanted Fraudsters list with $150,000 reward.
- Punjab police arrested Bedi in September 2026 during separate travel fraud investigation; he's fifth fugitive captured since FBI launched fraud watchlist three months prior.
A Scheme Built on Stolen Food Benefits
Manjit Singh Bedi, a naturalized U.S. citizen who operated the Asian Grocery Store in Tacoma, Washington, is accused of defrauding the U.S. government of at least $600,000 between March 2024 and June 2025 through a scheme involving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP. The alleged operation was straightforward but brazen: a small storefront, a federal benefits program meant to feed struggling families, and a man who prosecutors say turned it all into a personal cash machine.
Bedi purportedly sold food to participants of SNAP through their EBT cards. However, instead of selling participants food, Bedi is alleged to have swiped their cards and given them cash, keeping half of the proceeds for himself. Prosecutors cited examples in which a $200 charge resulted in the recipient receiving $100 while Bedi pocketed the remaining $100. Over roughly 15 months, those transactions added up to a staggering sum — all at the expense of American taxpayers and a program designed to help people in need.
From Indictment to International Fugitive
After being indicted on wire fraud and SNAP benefits fraud charges, Bedi was ordered to surrender his passport and remain in Washington state while awaiting court proceedings. Investigators allege he instead drove across the Canadian border before fleeing to India. A federal arrest warrant charging him with violating the conditions of his release was issued on May 21, 2026. What had begun as a federal fraud case quickly became an international manhunt.
The FBI announced a reward of up to $150,000 for information that could lead to Bedi's arrest and conviction. The FBI launched the Most Wanted Fraudsters list with eight individuals on June 4, 2026 — a new wanted list dedicated to publicly identifying individuals charged with defrauding the American people. Bedi's name landed on that list almost immediately, making him one of the bureau's highest-profile fraud targets.
Arrested in His Hometown
Bedi, 65, was apprehended by Jalandhar Commissionerate Police in the Paragpur area of the city, according to Punjab Police officials. Bedi was arrested in Jalandhar after his name surfaced during the investigation of a separate travel-fraud case registered in Punjab. He had an FIR lodged against him under sections relating to criminal breach of trust, cheating, and the Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Act at Rama Mandi Police Station in Jalandhar. The arrest on September 4, 2026 came just days after the FBI publicly announced the reward — a remarkably swift resolution once international attention focused on his whereabouts.
Two days after the Punjab Police arrested Bedi in Jalandhar, the FBI and the Department of Justice confirmed his capture, terming him one of the most-wanted fraudsters. Bedi is the fifth fugitive taken into custody since the bureau launched its new list three months ago. According to investigators, the five captured fraudsters are collectively accused in schemes worth more than $2 billion and had evaded arrest for nearly 4,000 days combined.
What Comes Next
The investigation involved the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. The FBI has since confirmed his capture and is working to secure his return to the United States. The allegations relating to the U.S. fraud case remain allegations unless and until established through the appropriate legal proceedings.
The arrest marks a striking turn in the case of a Jalandhar-born businessman who moved to the U.S., ran a grocery store in Tacoma, became the subject of a federal fraud investigation, left the country despite court-imposed restrictions, and was ultimately arrested after returning to Punjab. For federal authorities, the case sends a clear message: fleeing overseas is not an escape route. The FBI's Most Wanted Fraudsters list is proving to be an effective tool, and with extradition proceedings now underway, Bedi is likely to face a U.S. courtroom sooner rather than later.