In a post on X, Patel described Bedi as one of the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters and said his return marked another success for the programme, launched three months ago.
FBI Director Kash Patel on Thursday (local time) said Manjit Singh Bedi, an Indian national arrested in Punjab in September, had been brought back to the United States to face charges of allegedly defrauding the US government of at least $600,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
In a post on X, Patel described Bedi as one of the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters and said his return marked another success for the programme, launched three months ago.
“Back in the US - Manjit Singh Bedi, one of the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters, arrested in September in India,” Patel wrote.
He said Bedi was among six individuals on the list who had been captured since the programme’s launch. According to Patel, the group of alleged fraudsters was collectively linked to more than $2 billion in fraud and had spent nearly 4,000 days on the run before their arrests.
Bedi is accused of defrauding the US government of at least $600,000 in SNAP benefits between approximately 2024 and 2025.
“He is charged with defrauding the U.S. of at least $600k in SNAP funds from approximately 2024 to 2025, and now will face justice for his alleged crimes,” Patel said.
The allegations have not been established in court.
FBI alleges grocery store was used to run fraud scheme
The FBI had alleged that Bedi orchestrated the scheme through a grocery store he operated in the United States. He faces charges including wire fraud and SNAP benefits fraud, among other offences.
In September, the FBI said it was working to secure Bedi’s return to the US after he was arrested by Jalandhar Police in Punjab. At the time, Patel identified him as the fifth Most Wanted Fraudster captured since the programme was launched and said investigators believed he had fled to India the previous year.
His return to the US marks the latest development in the investigation into the alleged fraud.
Patel highlights rise in extraditions and removals
In a separate post on X, Patel highlighted cooperation between US authorities and foreign law enforcement agencies in bringing wanted individuals back to the country.
“This is the latest in an unprecedented stretch of success in bringing high-value targets back to the United States through strong partnerships with our foreign law enforcement counterparts,” he said.