India-born Manjit Singh Bedi in FBI’s ‘Most Wanted’ list for alleged fraud
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) adds Indian-origin Manjit Singh Bedi on its most-wanted list. (Photo: X/@FBIDirectorKash)The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has placed Indian-born Manjit Singh Bedi on its ‘Most Wanted Fraudsters’ list, accusing him of running a fraudulent scheme linked to the US government’s food benefits programme. Bedi, a naturalised US citizen, is said to have used a grocery store he ran in Tacoma, Washington, to swipe customers’ benefit cards and hand them cash instead of food, keeping half the money for himself.
The Bureau says he cheated the government out of at least $600,000 (roughly Rs 5.3 crore) between March 2024 and June 2025, and he is now believed to be in India after breaching the terms of his release and fleeing the country.
‘Swiping EBT cards and keeping proceeds for himself’
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the case on social media, saying the Bureau was adding three more names to its Most Wanted Fraudsters list alongside the White House Fraud Task Force. Writing about Bedi specifically, Patel said he was “wanted for defrauding the US of at least $600k in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (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”.
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 FTOC’s returning all…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) September 3, 2026
Patel added four other subjects tied to almost $2 billion in alleged fraud across three continents had already been caught and returned to the US to face justice, after being on the run for 3,500 days. He said the Bureau was “not slowing down”.
According to the FBI, Bedi ran a shop called Asian Grocery Store, where he was meant to sell food to people using their Electronic Benefit Transfer cards under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme. Instead, officials say he swiped the cards, gave customers cash, and pocketed half the proceeds himself.
‘Reward of up to $150,000 is offered’
The FBI said a reward is on offer for anyone who can help bring Bedi to justice, stating: “A reward of up to $150,000 is offered for information leading to his arrest and conviction.” That works out to around Rs 1.3 crore. Bedi was indicted for wire fraud and SNAP benefits fraud but was allowed to appear in court without being taken into custody.
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He was told to hand over his passport and stay within Washington state. Instead, he drove across the border into Canada before making his way to India, the FBI said. A federal arrest warrant was issued against him on 21 May after he was charged with breaching the conditions of his supervision.
