A Washington grocery store operator allegedly traded more than $600,000 in food assistance benefits for cash before fleeing to India, according to federal prosecutors.
Manjit Singh Bedi, 65, operated the Asian Grocery Store in Tacoma, Washington.
In February 2024, the store was authorized to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, according to federal investigators.
In March 2024, the fraudulent transactions allegedly began at the market, federal prosecutors said.
Bedi allegedly used the grocery store to exchange nutrition benefits for cash rather than eligible food purchases, investigators said.
The shopkeeper would allegedly charge a customer’s benefits card for an inflated sum and hand over roughly half of the amount in cash, authorities said.
In one example provided by prosecutors, Bedi allegedly charged $200 in benefits to an account. He then gave the customer $100 in cash and kept the remaining $100, according to court documents.
Between March 2024 and June 2025, at least $600,000 in benefits were redeemed through the store for food that was never purchased, authorities allege.
A federal grand jury subsequently indicted Bedi on multiple counts of wire fraud and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits fraud, records show.
On April 22, 2026, Bedi appeared in federal court in Tacoma and pleaded not guilty. He was allowed to remain out of custody while the case was pending, court records state.
As a condition of his release, the defendant was required to surrender his passport and remain in Washington state. Investigators allege he instead drove across the border into Canada and traveled overseas, according to court filings.
Dolly Parton, Country Music Icon and Philanthropist, Dies at 80 in Nashville
The Threat of State Control: Why Pushing Beyond Radical Agendas Endangers American Freedom and Free Enterprise
Former Mississippi officer Jeffery Walker tries retracting guilty plea for kicking handcuffed driver — claiming sudden innocence at sentencing
In April 2026, the grocer arrived in India, according to authorities.
On May 21, 2026, a federal arrest warrant was issued after Bedi was accused of violating the conditions of his supervision, court records show.
While the grocer remained outside the United States, authorities in India began investigating him in connection with a separate alleged travel-related fraud case, police said.
Punjab police said Bedi was accused of cheating, criminal breach of trust and violations involving the regulation of travel and immigration businesses.
Authorities in India also began examining the suspect’s international travel, financial transactions, possible associates and activities after he returned to the country, officials said.
On September 3, 2026, the FBI added Bedi to its Most Wanted Fraudsters list, officials said.
The bureau also announced a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction, federal authorities said.
Shortly afterward, authorities in Punjab located Bedi in the Jalandhar area of India. Officers took the defendant into custody, police said.
His capture made him the fifth person apprehended from the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list since the initiative was created, federal officials said.
Bedi has pleaded not guilty and has not been convicted of the federal allegations, court records show. Federal authorities are now working to secure his return to the United States to face the pending fraud charges, prosecutors said.
The grocer remains in custody in India while American authorities seek his return to federal court in Tacoma, officials said.
No Comments yet!