WASHINGTON STATE (KOMO) — The former owner of a Tacoma grocery store has been extradited to Washington to face charges alleging he defrauded the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through fake transactions.
Manjit Singh Bedi, 64, of Kent, was arrested in India in September after the FBI placed him on its “Most Wanted Fraudster” list.
He arrived in Seattle this week and is scheduled to appear in court Friday.
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Bedi is charged with six counts of wire fraud. According to the charges, Bedi arranged with SNAP recipients to run their cards for a certain amount, then give them half that amount back in cash while he pocketed the rest.
The FBI estimates Bedi defrauded the SNAP program of at least $600,000 through the scheme.
“He stole from Americans who truly needed help,” U.S. Department of Agriculture Inspector General John Walk said at a news conference at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle on Thursday. “This fraudster allegedly ran the Asian Grocery Store in Tacoma, Washington, like a money-laundering operation that converted federal food assistance for the needy into a personal cash dispensary to feed his own greed.”
Bendi was indicted on the charges in April and pleaded not guilty. Federal authorities say he fled from Washington to Canada, and later to his home country of India.
“We will ask the court to detain him pending trial as he has demonstrated he has the will and the means to flee,” Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd said.
Earlier this year, the White House announced the creation of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. The task force brings together different federal agencies and law enforcement to root out fraudulent use of government benefits.
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Floyd noted at a news conference Thursday that stopping SNAP benefit fraud will help slow the fentanyl trade and other crime problems in Seattle.
“Those who take advantage of America’s generosity must be held accountable,” Floyd said. “They bring cash into high-crime areas where they would otherwise not have cash. To the extent we can root it out, we’ll be helping solve some of the systemic and larger problems here in the Seattle area by driving out the gangs, the association, the violence that goes along with actually trading this commodity.”
