Atlanta rapper Mercedes Reshard New indicted in $4.6 million SNAP fraud scheme

Atlanta rapper Mercedes Reshard New, known professionally as Shawty Dred, faces 63 federal charges following an alleged $4.6 million fraud scheme involving Georgia’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

According to a federal indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, New allegedly used stolen identities—including names, birthdates, and Social Security numbers—to create more than 340 fraudulent SNAP accounts between January 2020 and July 2026. Prosecutors claim the EBT cards were mailed to various addresses in the Atlanta area.

The indictment further alleges that New utilized his business, Shawty Dred LLC, to process these fraudulent transactions through a point-of-sale device to make the purchases appear legitimate. Prosecutors estimate approximately $660,000 was routed into his business account to fund personal expenses such as clothing, jewelry, and vacations. The charges include 46 counts of mail fraud, one count of SNAP fraud, 15 counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of illegal transactions with access devices.