US extradites SNAP fraud accused from India as FBI hails 'most wanted' return
A man accused of defrauding a United States food assistance programme of at least $600,000 has been brought back to the US from India, the Department of Justice has said.
Manjeet Singh Bedi, who was arrested in India last month, was returned to the US on Wednesday night (October 14, 2026), Acting US Attorney Charles Neil Floyd said. Mr. Bedi is expected to appear before a court in the Western District of Washington state on Friday (October 15, 2026).
The charges against him are allegations. He has not been convicted of any offence.
FBI Director Kash Patel described the return as "yet another significant moment" for the bureau's Most Wanted Fraudsters programme. He thanked FBI Seattle and "our brilliant law enforcement partners here in the US and in India" for helping to secure Mr. Bedi's return.
What he is accused of
According to the FBI, Mr. Bedi ran a small grocery business in Tacoma, Washington state, called Asian Grocery Store. He allegedly sold food to participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and processed their payments using Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards.
Mr. Patel said Mr. Bedi is charged with defrauding the US of at least $600,000 in SNAP funds between approximately 2024 and 2025, and faces counts of wire fraud and SNAP benefits fraud. SNAP is the federal food assistance programme for low-income households, administered through the states.
After he was indicted, Mr. Bedi was allowed to appear in court without being taken into custody. He was ordered to surrender his passport and to remain in Washington state.
The FBI says he instead drove across the border into Canada and later fled to India.
"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, 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.
Mr. Floyd said the FBI will ask the court to keep Mr. Bedi in custody until trial, on the ground that he has shown both the willingness and the means to flee.
Wider context
Mr. Patel said the case was the latest in a run of returns of high-value targets from abroad. He said there had been more than 260 such removal actions in 20 months, an increase of about 70 per cent over the previous period.
India and the United States have had an extradition treaty in force since 1997, under which either country may ask the other to hand over a person wanted for trial or to serve a sentence. Such requests are examined by the courts and the central government of the country holding the person.
Retailers that accept SNAP benefits must be approved by the US Department of Agriculture, and allegations of benefit misuse are investigated by federal agencies, including the department's Office of Inspector General and the FBI.
