FBI Most Wanted Fraudster Manjit Singh Bedi has been extradited to the US following his arrest in India over a $600k SNAP fraud scheme.
WASHINGTON / NEW DELHI — Manjit Singh Bedi, a prominent figure on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list, has been returned to the United States to face federal charges after being taken into custody by law enforcement in India. The extradition follows Bedi’s arrest in Punjab, India, in September, concluding a multi-jurisdictional manhunt after he fled criminal proceedings in the U.S. Federal prosecutors in Washington state previously indicted the 64-year-old grocery store owner on multiple counts of wire fraud and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits fraud.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the high-value transfer, emphasizing the rapid pace of international law enforcement cooperation.
”Back in the U.S. — Manjit Singh Bedi, one of the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters, arrested in September in India,” Patel said in a statement on social media. “This marks yet another significant moment for the historic FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters program — Bedi is one of six Most Wanted Fraudsters captured since the creation of the new list three months ago — and yet another high value target captured overseas — in a group responsible for a combined over $2 billion in fraud and on the run for almost 4,000 days collectively prior to arrest.”
According to the U.S. Department of Justice and federal indictments, Bedi is accused of engaging in a systematic benefits fraud scheme through his grocery business in Tacoma, Washington, between approximately 2024 and 2025. Investigators allege that instead of distributing legitimate food items, the store operation illegally exchanged customer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards for cash, swindling the federal government out of at least $600,000 in SNAP allocations.
Manjit Singh Bedi Faces U.S. Federal Court After Flight to India
Following his initial indictment in April and subsequent not-guilty plea, federal authorities stated that Bedi violated court-ordered release conditions and absconded from the country. Investigators trace his flight path from the United States through Canada before he ultimately arrived in his home country of India.
In response to his evasion, the FBI formally added Bedi to its newly minted Most Wanted Fraudsters roster on September 3, offering a substantial reward of up to $150,000 for verified information leading directly to his apprehension and conviction. Shortly after the public listing, local authorities in Punjab detained Bedi in connection with local regulatory infractions alongside the pending international warrant.
U.S. Attorney’s Office representatives announced that prosecutors intend to aggressively pursue pretrial detention, citing Bedi’s demonstrated capability and financial means to cross international borders to avoid prosecution.
”I commend the work of the FBI and international partners to get Bedi back to the U.S. to face justice,” Acting U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd said. “We will ask the court to detain him pending trial as he has demonstrated he has the will and the means to flee. Those who take advantage of America’s generosity must be held accountable.”
The case underscores an intensifying global focus by American law enforcement agencies on cross-border financial crimes and fugitive extraditions. FBI officials reported a sharp upward trajectory in international cooperation, noting that U.S. authorities have secured approximately 260 extraditions and formal removals over the preceding 20-month window, reflecting a more than 70 percent increase compared to prior reporting periods.
Legal proceedings for Bedi are scheduled to advance in U.S. federal court in Washington state, where he faces severe statutory penalties, including potential decades-long imprisonment terms and substantial financial restitution fines if convicted of the wire and benefit fraud counts.
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