In a dramatic cross-border capture, Punjab Police have arrested a naturalized American citizen who allegedly swindled the U.S. government out of hundreds of thousands of dollars—then bolted across continents to avoid justice.

Key facts:

  • Manjeet Singh Bedi was arrested in Jalandhar on September 6, 2026
  • He is accused of defrauding the U.S. of at least $600,000
  • The FBI had offered a $115,000 bounty for his capture
  • Bedi fled the U.S. in April 2026 via Canada

From Grocery Store to Most Wanted

Bedi wasn't some shadowy financial mastermind—he ran a small grocery store in Tacoma, Washington. But according to the FBI, he turned that humble operation into a fraud machine. He allegedly swiped customers' government benefits cards, giving them cash instead of food under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), while keeping half the proceeds for himself.

The Great Escape—And Capture

Bedi's run from the law was short-lived but dramatic. He left the United States in April, slipping into India via Canada after a federal court issued an arrest warrant on May 21 for violating his supervision conditions. He'd been indicted for wire fraud and ordered to surrender his passport and remain in Washington state.

His freedom ended two days ago in Rama Mandi, where Punjab Police picked him up on unrelated fraud charges. During questioning, they discovered his much larger American legal troubles.

"Bedi was just arrested in India and was believed to have fled there sometime last year," said FBI Director Kash Patel in a post on X.

A Pattern of Fraudsters Falling

Bedi's capture represents something bigger than just one case. Director Patel noted this is the fifth most wanted fraudster captured since the creation of a new list three months ago. "Subjects captured so far have been responsible for a combined over $2 billion in fraud and were on the run for almost 4,000 days collectively prior to arrest," he said.

The FBI is now actively working to bring Bedi back to the United States to face charges including wire fraud and SNAP benefits fraud—charges that could see him answer for every dollar taken from programs meant to help those in need.