Shawty Dred Faces 63 Federal Counts Over Alleged $4 Million SNAP Scheme

Shawty Dred was accused of using stolen identities and hundreds of food-benefit accounts to siphon about $4 million from SNAP, federal prosecutors announced on October 21.

The Atlanta rapper and social media personality, whose legal name is Mercedes Reshard New, was indicted on October 7 and arrested in Las Vegas on October 13. The 39-year-old faces 46 counts of mail fraud, 15 counts of aggravated identity theft and one count each of SNAP fraud and illegal transactions with access devices.

“New allegedly stole over $4 million meant for poor families who need help putting food on the table,” U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said in the release.

In its announcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia described a scheme that allegedly ran from January 2020 through July 2026. Prosecutors said Shawty Dred controlled more than 350 fraudulent SNAP accounts opened with stolen identities and had benefit cards mailed to addresses around metro Atlanta.

SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, helps low-income households buy food. Georgia recipients receive benefits on electronic benefit transfer cards, known as EBT cards, which they can use at approved stores. Selling or trading those benefits is prohibited.

Prosecutors said Shawty Dred applied to make his company, Shawty Dred LLC, an approved SNAP retailer. They alleged that he then used fraudulently obtained cards and the company’s payment device to take more than $660,000 in benefits between April 2024 and November 2025.

The Agriculture Department revoked the store’s authorization in November 2025. About two weeks later, local officers arrested Shawty Dred on suspicion of selling SNAP benefits and seized 14 cards issued to other people, prosecutors said. They alleged that he then arranged to have replacement cards sent to his store and other Atlanta-area addresses.

Investigators also examined heavy use of the phone system that SNAP recipients use to access their accounts. In a separate national announcement, the Justice Department said phone numbers linked to Shawty Dred contacted that system more than 9,000 times and accessed over 350 accounts.

The local prosecutors’ announcement put the total transferred into allegedly fraudulent accounts at about $4.6 million, with roughly $4 million siphoned from those accounts.

Prosecutors also pointed to social media posts showing private jets, luxury cars and stacks of cash as they accused him of funding an extravagant lifestyle with benefits meant for food.

The charges are allegations, not findings of guilt. Shawty Dred is presumed innocent, and prosecutors must prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Shawty Dred was remanded to U.S. Marshals Service custody pending further proceedings, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Its announcement did not identify a defense lawyer or include a response from him.