Tacoma grocery store owner indicted for food stamp fraud scheme

Tacoma - The 64-year-old owner of a small Tacoma market was arraigned today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma for multiple counts of wire fraud and SNAP benefit fraud, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Manjit Bedi, of Kent, Washington, pleaded not guilty in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Theresa L. Fricke. Trial is scheduled for June 22, 2026, in front of U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright.

"Every assistance dollar lost to fraud, is a dollar that could be feeding hungry children," said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. "This crime steals from taxpayers -- including our most needy, cutting the dollars they have for food. We are committed to rooting out such fraud so that federal dollars go to where they are most needed."

The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement DivisionLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link.. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

According to the indictment, Bedi owned and operated a small grocery store in Tacoma. In February 2024, the store was authorized to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits - formerly known as food stamps. The indictment alleges that beginning in March 2024, Bedi agreed to provide SNAP recipients with cash in exchange for the money loaded on their electronic benefits card (EBT). For example, Bedi would charge $200 against a recipient's EBT card, providing $100 in cash to the recipient and keeping the other $100 as profit. The indictment alleges Bedi pocketed at least $600,000 in SNAP benefits for food items that were never sold.

Both wire fraud and SNAP benefit fraud are punishable by up to twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG), the FBI, and the Washington State Department of Health and Human Services (DSHS).

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Victoria Cantore.