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What is the story about?
The FBI has added India-born Manjit Singh Bedi to its list of most wanted fraudsters for his alleged involvement in irregularities in the US government’s benefits scheme.
According to the FBI, Bedi operated a small grocery store in Tacoma, Washington, where he allegedly swiped customers’ government benefits cards and gave them cash instead of food under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (SNAP).
Instead of selling food to SNAP participants, Bedi allegedly swiped their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards and gave them cash, keeping half of the proceeds for himself, the FBI said on Thursday (September 3). The agency alleged that Bedi, a naturalised US citizen, defrauded the US government of at least US$600,000 between March 2024 and June 2025.
Bedi operated a small grocery store in Tacoma called Asian Grocery Store, where he purportedly sold food to SNAP participants using their EBT cards.
“A reward of up to US$150,000 is offered for information leading to his arrest and conviction,” the FBI said.
After being indicted on charges of wire fraud and SNAP benefits fraud, Bedi was allowed to appear in court without being arrested.
He was ordered to surrender his passport and remain in Washington state.
However, Bedi soon drove across the border into Canada and then fled to India, the FBI said.
A federal arrest warrant was issued for Bedi on May 21 in a US district court after he was charged with violating the conditions of his supervision.
According to the FBI, Bedi operated a small grocery store in Tacoma, Washington, where he allegedly swiped customers’ government benefits cards and gave them cash instead of food under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (SNAP).
Instead of selling food to SNAP participants, Bedi allegedly swiped their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards and gave them cash, keeping half of the proceeds for himself, the FBI said on Thursday (September 3). The agency alleged that Bedi, a naturalised US citizen, defrauded the US government of at least US$600,000 between March 2024 and June 2025.
Bedi operated a small grocery store in Tacoma called Asian Grocery Store, where he purportedly sold food to SNAP participants using their EBT cards.
“A reward of up to US$150,000 is offered for information leading to his arrest and conviction,” the FBI said.
After being indicted on charges of wire fraud and SNAP benefits fraud, Bedi was allowed to appear in court without being arrested.
He was ordered to surrender his passport and remain in Washington state.
However, Bedi soon drove across the border into Canada and then fled to India, the FBI said.
A federal arrest warrant was issued for Bedi on May 21 in a US district court after he was charged with violating the conditions of his supervision.
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