ATLANTA, Ga. — A social media personality with millions of online followers will stay behind bars while he fights federal charges that he siphoned about $4 million in food assistance meant for low-income Georgia families.
Mercedes Reshard New, 39, who posts as Shawty Dred, faces a grand jury indictment returned Oct. 7. It lists 46 mail fraud counts, 15 aggravated identity theft counts plus a single SNAP fraud count and a single count of misusing access devices. Agents picked him up Oct. 13. At a later detention hearing, a magistrate judge sided with the government and ordered him jailed with no bond pending trial.
Prosecutors say the scheme ran from January 2020 through July 2026. The indictment alleges New controlled more than 350 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program accounts opened with stolen identities and had the benefit cards mailed to addresses he chose.
Through those accounts, the state Division of Family and Children Services sent out roughly $4.6 million in benefits, and about $4 million of it was spent off the cards, according to the government.
Federal officials say New also got a company, Shawty Dred LLC, approved as a SNAP retailer, then ran the stolen cards through its card reader and pocketed more than $660,000. The U.S. Department of Agriculture pulled that approval in November 2025. Prosecutors allege he then moved to store checkout lanes and later had replacement cards shipped to other addresses.
Investigators also point to social media posts showing private jets, luxury cars and stacks of cash. U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg has said the money was supposed to help needy families buy food.
SNAP recipients are barred from selling or trading their benefits. The charges are allegations, and New is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Section: More Atlanta GA crime news
Filed under: Atlanta GA Crime News
