FBI's Most Wanted Fraudsters list: Man defrauds US govt of Rs 5.6 crore, escapes to India

Indian-origin man Manjit Singh Bedi has been added to the FBI's list of Most Wanted Fraudsters. He is allegedly the mastermind behind a welfare fraud scheme, causing the US government a loss of at least $600,000 (Rs 5.6 crore) between March 2024 and June 2025. The FBI said that Bedi has fled to India and is offering a reward of $150,000 (Rs 1.4 crore) for any information that would lead to his arrest.

Bedi is a naturalised US citizen and operated a small grocery store in Tacoma, Washington, called Asian Grocery Store. He defrauded the government through illegal activity linked to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). He showed on paper that he sold food to people who held the EBT cards. But instead of selling food to them, he swiped their cards and gave them cash. Bedi retained half of the money.

The FBI said Bedi was indicted for wire fraud and SNAP benefits fraud. He wasn't arrested and was told to appear in court. "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 in its notice. In May this year, the US District Court for the Western District of Washington issued an arrest warrant against him. There is no information on whether the FBI has reached out to Indian enforcement officials in connection with his arrest.

What is FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list?

FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list was launched in June 2026 to identify those who had defrauded Americans. US Department of Agriculture Inspector General John Walk said the list was an "important tool to create public awareness to help track down fugitives and put criminals behind bars". There are 12 names on the list as of now, including Bedi. Four others who were previously on the list were arrested, after which their names were removed.