Atlanta Influencer Mercedes New, Known as 'Shawty Dred,' Indicted in Alleged $4 Million SNAP Fraud Using Stolen Identities

Published Oct. 22, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

On Instagram, he posed with private jets, Rolls-Royces and stacks of cash. Federal officials in Atlanta allege that lifestyle was bankrolled with food assistance meant for low-income families, drawn through hundreds of SNAP accounts opened in other people's names.

Mercedes Reshard New, 39, of Atlanta, a social media personality known as "Shawty Dred," was indicted on Oct. 7, 2026, and arrested on Oct. 13, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced on Oct. 21 [1]. The case was one of the "notable cases" the Justice Department highlighted the same day in a nationwide SNAP fraud enforcement surge [2].

Important: New has been charged, not convicted. "Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government's burden to prove the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial," the U.S. Attorney's Office said [1].

Status: Indicted Oct. 7, 2026; arrested Oct. 13 (in Las Vegas, according to the Justice Department) and remanded to U.S. Marshals custody pending further proceedings [1][2].

The charges

A federal grand jury charged New with 46 counts of mail fraud, 15 counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of SNAP fraud and one count of illegal transactions with access devices [1].

How the scheme allegedly worked

According to the indictment and information presented in court, as summarized by prosecutors [1]:

• Accounts in stolen names. Between January 2020 and July 2026, New allegedly controlled more than 350 fraudulent SNAP accounts "that were created using stolen identities."
• Cards mailed to Atlanta addresses. He allegedly had the EBT cards for those accounts mailed to various metro Atlanta addresses.
• His own store. New allegedly applied for his company, Shawty Dred LLC, to become an authorized SNAP retailer. Between April 2024 and November 2025, he allegedly used fraudulently obtained EBT cards and the store's point-of-sale device to take more than $660,000 in SNAP benefits.
• Caught with cards, then replacements. USDA revoked the store's authorization in November 2025. About two weeks later, local police arrested New for allegedly selling SNAP benefits at a metro Atlanta store and seized 14 EBT cards issued to other people. Prosecutors say he then had replacement cards mailed to his store address and other Atlanta-area addresses.

In all, prosecutors say, New "duped" Georgia's Division of Family & Children Services into transferring about $4.6 million in SNAP benefits to the fraudulent accounts, and about $4 million was drawn out with EBT cards [1].

The Justice Department's nationwide announcement adds detail from the Georgia Department of Human Services Office of Inspector General. It says phone numbers associated with New contacted the SNAP EBT automated phone line "over 9,000 times, accessing over 350 separate SNAP accounts," and that more than 500 Georgia EBT cards were linked to New, with an estimated loss of $4.4 million [2]. The two releases give slightly different dollar totals; both are allegations.

The people whose identities were used

The U.S. Attorney's Office does not say how the identities were obtained or who the people are. It describes the accounts as "created using stolen identities" [1]. The 15 aggravated identity theft counts reflect that allegation. For the people whose names were used, a benefits account opened in their name can cause problems later, for example if they apply for assistance themselves.

Red flags

• Anyone offering to buy your EBT card or benefits for cash. Selling or trading SNAP benefits is prohibited, according to prosecutors.
• Mail addressed to someone you don't know containing an EBT card or benefits notice at your address.
• A notice about a SNAP or benefits account you never applied for.
• A store that will "cash out" EBT balances or swipe cards without a real food purchase.

What to do if you're targeted

1. If you get benefits mail for an account you never opened, contact your state SNAP agency (in Georgia, DFCS) and report possible identity theft.
2. Report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov [3] and consider a credit freeze with the three credit bureaus.
3. If you receive SNAP, never share your EBT card number or PIN, check your balance often, and report missing benefits to your state agency right away.
4. Report suspected SNAP fraud to the USDA Office of Inspector General through usdaoig.oversight.gov [4] or to your state's benefits fraud line.

Case status (as of Oct. 22, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status as of Oct. 22, 2026	Source
Mercedes Reshard New, aka "Shawty Dred," 39, Atlanta	U.S. District Court, N.D. Ga., No. 26-CR-473	Indicted Oct. 7, 2026 (46 mail fraud, 15 aggravated identity theft, 1 SNAP fraud, 1 illegal transactions with access devices); arrested Oct. 13; in U.S. Marshals custody; presumed innocent	[1][2]

Statuses can change. Those not convicted are presumed innocent.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia, "Social Media Personality Shawty Dred Indicted for $4 Million SNAP Fraud Scheme," Oct. 21, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/social-media-personality-shawty-dred-indicted-4-million-snap-fraud-scheme
2. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, "DOJ's Fraud Division, Department of Agriculture, and USDA OIG Uncover Nearly $42M in SNAP Benefit Fraud in Nationwide Enforcement Surge Involving Suspected Illegal Aliens," Oct. 21, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/dojs-fraud-division-department-agriculture-and-usda-oig-uncover-nearly-42m-snap-benefit
3. Federal Trade Commission, IdentityTheft.gov (accessed Oct. 22, 2026). https://www.identitytheft.gov/
4. USDA Office of Inspector General (accessed Oct. 22, 2026). https://usdaoig.oversight.gov/

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