Manjit Singh, FBI suspect in $600,000 SNAP fraud case, brought back to US after arrest in Punjab | Today’s news
FBI Director Kash Patel said Thursday (local time) that Manjit Singh Bedi, an Indian national arrested in September in Punjab, has been brought back to the United States to face charges for allegedly defrauding the US government of at least $600,000 in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
In a post on X, Patel described Bedi as one of the FBI’s most wanted crooks and said his return marked another success for the program, which was launched three months ago.
“Back in the US – Manjit Singh Bedi, one of the FBI’s most wanted fraudsters, arrested in September in India,” Patel wrote.
He said Bedi was among six individuals on the list who had been captured since the program was launched. According to Patel, the group of alleged fraudsters were collectively linked to more than $2 billion in fraud and spent nearly 4,000 days on the run before being arrested.
Bedi is accused of defrauding the U.S. government of at least $600,000 in SNAP benefits between approximately 2024 and 2025.
“He is accused of defrauding the US of at least $600,000 in SNAP funds between 2024 and 2025 and will now face justice for his alleged crimes,” Patel said.
The allegations were not proven in court.
The FBI says the grocery store was used in a fraudulent scam
The FBI alleged that Bedi orchestrated the scheme through a grocery store he operated in the United States. He faces charges including wire fraud and SNAP benefits fraud, among others.
In September, the FBI said it was working to secure Bedi’s return to the US after he was arrested by Jalandhar police in Punjab. At the time, Patel identified him as the fifth most wanted fraudster captured since the program was launched and said investigators believed he had fled to India last year.
His return to the US marks the latest development in the investigation into the alleged fraud.
Patel highlights the increase in renditions and deportations
In a separate post on X, Patel emphasized the cooperation between US authorities and foreign law enforcement agencies in bringing wanted persons back into the country.
“This is the latest in an unprecedented stretch of success in bringing high-value targets back to the United States through strong partnerships with our foreign law enforcement counterparts,” he said.
Patel added that the US had secured 260 extraditions and deportations in the previous 20 monthswhich is an increase of more than 70% compared to the previous 20-month period.