A Tacoma grocery store owner accused of stealing at least $600,000 in federal food assistance benefits has been returned to Washington from India after fleeing the country to avoid prosecution.
Manjit Bedi, 64, of Kent, is scheduled to appear Friday, Oct. 16, in US District Court in Tacoma after being captured overseas with help from Indian law enforcement, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
Bedi was among the fugitives featured on the FBI’s new Most Wanted Fraudsters list, which publicizes cases involving people accused of defrauding federal programs.
He was added to the list Sept. 3, about four months after authorities say he fled the United States following his indictment on federal fraud charges.
Indian authorities subsequently took him into custody. He was transferred to federal agents and returned to Western Washington on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
“We will ask the court to detain him pending trial as he has demonstrated he has the will and the means to flee,” Acting US Attorney Charles Neil Floyd said.
How the Alleged $600,000 Scheme Worked
Bedi and his wife opened the Asian Grocery Store in Tacoma in May 2023, according to a federal indictment filed April 1, 2026.
The business received authorization to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in February 2024.
SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, provides federal assistance to help eligible low-income households purchase groceries.
Prosecutors allege Bedi began exploiting the program the following month by exchanging customers’ food assistance benefits for cash.
Instead of selling eligible groceries, Bedi allegedly processed fraudulent transactions using customers’ electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards.
The arrangement typically allowed Bedi to keep half the value of the benefits exchanged, according to court documents.
For example, a customer with $200 in SNAP benefits could receive $100 in cash while Bedi processed a $200 transaction through the store’s payment system.
The federal government would then reimburse the store for groceries that were never purchased.
Prosecutors allege Bedi used the transactions to divert at least $600,000 in federal food assistance funds between March 2024 and June 2025.
The indictment identifies six alleged wire fraud transactions and five alleged instances of SNAP benefits fraud involving transactions in April, May and June 2025.
Bedi faces six counts of wire fraud and five counts of SNAP benefits fraud. Each offense carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
From Federal Court to the FBI’s Most Wanted List
Bedi pleaded not guilty to the charges April 22, 2026. Within a week, he fled to India, according to federal prosecutors.
On Sept. 3, the FBI added Bedi to its Most Wanted Fraudsters list, distributing his photograph and information about the case internationally.
The publicity helped lead to his capture, federal officials said.
“Thanks to the hard work of FBI Seattle investigators and our international law enforcement partners, as well as tips from the public about the subject’s whereabouts, Mr. Bedi has been returned to the United States to face justice in a Tacoma courtroom,” said W. Mike Herrington, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office.
Bedi is one of six fugitives captured since the FBI launched the fraud-focused list June 4.
The program debuted with eight fugitives and has featured 18 people in total. As of Oct. 14, 12 remained on the list.
Unlike the FBI’s longstanding Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, the new program focuses specifically on people wanted in connection with alleged fraud.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the six captured fugitives were collectively linked to more than $2 billion in alleged fraud.
Prosecutors Seek Detention Ahead of Trial
Federal officials emphasized that SNAP benefits are intended to help struggling households afford food.
“Stealing SNAP benefits – food assistance benefits intended for low-income Americans – is wrong and no matter where they run, we will not stop pursuing those who perpetrate these crimes against the poorest Americans and the American taxpayer,” USDA Inspector General John Walk said.
The investigation involved the FBI, the US Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General and the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs assisted with Bedi’s return from India.
