Atlanta influencer indicted for $4.6M SNAP fraud scheme

An Atlanta social media influencer, known as Shawty Dred, was indicted for allegedly stealing over $4 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, according to Atlanta News First.

Federal prosecutors said Shawty Dred, whose real name is Mercedes Reshard New, controlled more than 350 fake SNAP accounts created with stolen identities between January 2020 and July 2026. The EBT debit cards linked to these accounts were sent to various addresses in the metro Atlanta area.

New reportedly applied for his company, Shawty Dred LLC, to become an authorized SNAP retailer and used a point-of-sale device linked to the company to steal more than $660,000 in benefits between April 2024 and November 2025. His store authorization was revoked in November 2025 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Local police arrested New in late 2025 after he was accused of selling SNAP benefits at a metro Atlanta store. Officers seized 14 EBT cards issued to other people, and investigators said New continued to have replacement cards mailed to his business and other local addresses.

On October 7, a federal grand jury indicted New on multiple counts including mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, SNAP fraud, and illegal transactions with access devices. He was arrested on October 13 and is currently in custody pending further proceedings.