FBI's ‘Most Wanted Fraudster’ Manjit Singh Bedi back in US after arrest in India

Washington, October 16 (IANS) Manjit Singh Bedi, an Indian-origin grocery store owner on the FBI’s ‘Most Wanted Fraudsters’ list, has been returned to the US from India to face charges of defrauding a US food aid programme of at least $600,000, American officials said.“BACK IN THE U.S. - Manjit Singh Bedi, one of the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters, arrested in September in India,” FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X.Bedi, 64, of Kent in Washington state, was handed over to federal agents and arrived in the Western District of Washington on the night of October 14, according to the US Justice Department. He is scheduled to appear in the US District Court in Tacoma on Friday.US officials did not say whether Bedi was extradited or deported from India.“Thank you to FBI Seattle, as well our brilliant law enforcement partners here in the U.S. and in India, for assisting in securing Bedi’s return,” Patel said in a statement.“This is the latest in a tremendously successful run of returning high value targets to the U.S. by engaging with foreign partners – with over 260 removal actions in just 20 months, up over approximately 70 per cent from the previous period,” he said.Patel said Bedi was “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”.“After being indicted for wire fraud in April, he fled to India,” the FBI said on X.According to the Justice Department, Bedi pleaded not guilty on April 22 and fled to India within a week. He was added to the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list on September 3, and “law enforcement in India quickly took Bedi into custody”.“I commend the work of the FBI and international partners to get Mr. Bedi back to the US to face justice,” said Acting US Attorney Neil Floyd. “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 indictment alleges that Bedi owned and operated The Asian Grocery Store in Tacoma, which was authorised to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in February 2024.Beginning in March 2024, prosecutors allege, he gave SNAP recipients cash in exchange for the benefits on their electronic cards at 50 cents on the dollar, pocketing at least $600,000 in benefits for food that was never sold until the fraud was discovered in June 2025.Wire fraud and SNAP benefit fraud are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.