ATLANTA – On October 7, 2026, a federal grand jury indicted Mercedes Reshard New, aka “Shawty Dred,” 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, on 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 was arrested on October 13, 2026, and remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending further proceedings.

‘Shawty Dred’ showed off his lifestyle on Instagram and TikTok.

From January 2020 and July 2026, New allegedly controlled 350 fraudulent SNAP accounts from using stolen identities.

He allegedly applied for his limited liability company, Shawty Dred LLC, to become an authorized SNAP retailer.

New allegedly used EBT debit cards and a point-of-sale device associated with Shawty Dred LLC to steal more than $660,000 in SNAP benefits.

After police seized the 14 EBT cards, New caused replacement cards to be mailed to his store address and other addresses in the Atlanta area.

New allegedly got DFCS for approximately $4,600,000 in SNAP benefits.

Assistant United States Attorney Tracia M. King is prosecuting the case.

On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people.

This information is sourced from the the United States Attorney’s Office of Northern Georgia

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