Washington, Oct 16 A most-wanted fraudster accused of irregularities in US government schemes has been extradited from India, the Department of Justice has said.
Manjeet Singh Bedi, who was arrested in India last month, was brought back to the US on Wednesday night, Acting US Attorney Charles Neil Floyd said.
Bedi will appear before the Western District Court of Washington state on Friday.
“The arrest and return of Manjit Singh Bedi marks yet another significant moment for the historic FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters program,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.
“Thank you to FBI Seattle, as well as our brilliant law enforcement partners here in the US and in India, for assisting in securing Bedi’s return,” Patel said.
Neil Floyd said the FBI will ask the court to detain Bedi pending trial because he demonstrated the will and means to flee.
Bedi operated a small grocery store in Tacoma city in Washington state called Asian Grocery Store. He purportedly sold food to SNAP participants using their EBT cards.
After being indicted for 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 to Canada and then fled to India, the FBI said.
“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 Seattle field office.
Patel said Bedi is charged with defrauding the US of at least USD 600,000 in SNAP funds from approximately 2024 to 2025 and will now face justice for his alleged crimes.
“This is the latest in a tremendously successful run of returning high-value targets to the US by engaging with foreign partners – with over 260 removal actions in just 20 months, up approximately 70 per cent from the previous period,” Patel said.
(PTI News)
