The Federal Bureau of Investigation has added Tacoma grocery store operator Manjit Singh Bedi to its Most Wanted Fraudsters list over allegations that he diverted at least $600,000 from the United States’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP.
The FBI says Bedi fled the United States after being indicted on federal fraud charges and is now believed to be in India. A reward of up to $150,000 is being offered for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
According to the FBI, Bedi operated Asian Grocery Store in Tacoma, Washington, where investigators allege he exchanged SNAP benefits for cash rather than selling eligible food to recipients. Under the alleged arrangement, a customer whose electronic benefits transfer card was charged $200 could receive $100 in cash while Bedi retained the remaining $100. Federal authorities allege that the transactions allowed him to pocket at least $600,000 for food that was never actually sold.
The case dates back to March 2024, shortly after the store received authorization to accept SNAP benefits. Prosecutors allege the scheme continued into June 2025, while the FBI says the losses to the federal government amounted to at least $600,000. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General and the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.
Bedi was arraigned in the U.S. District Court in Tacoma on April 22, 2026, on multiple counts of wire fraud and SNAP benefit fraud and pleaded not guilty. Each offence can carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, although the charges remain allegations and Bedi is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case took another turn after Bedi was permitted to appear in court without being arrested. According to the FBI, he was ordered to surrender his passport and remain in Washington state, but investigators allege that he subsequently drove across the border into Canada before fleeing to India. A federal arrest warrant was issued on May 21 after he was charged with violating the conditions of his supervision.
The FBI now describes Bedi as a naturalized U.S. citizen believed to be residing in India. His addition to the bureau’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list places the case within a relatively new FBI initiative devoted specifically to fugitives accused of major financial fraud rather than the bureau’s traditional Ten Most Wanted Fugitives programme.
The FBI launched the Most Wanted Fraudsters list in June 2026 to generate public assistance in locating suspects wanted in major fraud cases. By early September, 15 fugitives had been added to the programme, with four captured, according to the bureau.
