An Atlanta rapper and influencer who has regularly flaunted his wealth and even burned money has been busted for ripping off $4 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits intended for other people.
Federal authorities announced that Mercedes Reshard New, who goes by the name “Shawty Dred” on social media, was arrested for food stamp fraud, stealing from a program designed to help the economically disadvantaged to put food on the table.
The bust was part of a Trump administration effort to crack down on fraud to recover around $42 million meant for needy families and was discovered by an anti-fraud task force led by Vice President JD Vance.
ALERT: Rapper who flaunted money and even lit it on fire busted in a $42 million fraud scheme exposed by a Vice President JD Vance task force.
Mercedes New, also known as rapper, influencer, and apparent adult content creator Shawty Dred, was charged with dozens of fraud charges as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on food stamp fraud.
New, from 2020 to 2026, allegedly defrauded the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by using over 350 fake accounts based on stolen identities from the Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Family & Children Services.
New then obtained hundreds of fraudulent SNAP EBT debit cards that he had sent to multiple addresses in the Atlanta area.
Prosecutors indicted New on 46 counts of mail fraud, 15 counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of food stamp fraud in his $4.6 million part of the $42 million bust.
— E X X ➠A L E R T S (@ExxAlerts) October 21, 2026
New has spent years posting pics of himself living the high life to social media, including posing with expensive luxury cars and on private jets. His photos also show him posing with big stacks of money and in at least one of them, lighting a greenback on fire.
“For years, New has flaunted his extravagant lifestyle on social media. Posts to his Instagram account, richlifeshawtydred, which has more than two million followers, depict him flying on private jets, posing with ultra-luxury Rolls-Royce and Maybach vehicles, handling massive stacks of cash, and denouncing other people as “broke motherf****s,’” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia said in a statement.
“Between January 2020 and July 2026, New allegedly controlled more than 350 fraudulent SNAP accounts that were created using stolen identities. He allegedly caused SNAP EBT debit cards to be mailed to various metro Atlanta addresses and allegedly applied for his limited liability company, Shawty Dred LLC, to become an authorized SNAP retailer,” the statement read.
“Over the course of the scheme, New allegedly duped DFCS into transferring approximately $4,600,000 in SNAP benefits to fraudulently established beneficiary accounts. EBT debit cards were used to siphon approximately $4 million from the accounts,” the statement read.
ATLANTA – Social media personality Mercedes Reshard New, a/k/a “Shawty Dred,” was arrested on federal charges for fraudulently obtaining more than $4 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. https://t.co/4YkNuT5gC1 @NDGAnews @OIGUSDA @FBIAtlanta https://t.co/svxF2hpNCL
— US Attorney NDGA (@NDGAnews) October 21, 2026
“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. “My office is fully committed to rooting out abuses of the SNAP program and holding accountable criminal con artists and scammers who appallingly seek to profit by stealing taxpayer money meant to feed vulnerable Americans.”
“Two-hundred twenty thousand Americans could’ve eaten for the entire month of October if it were not for this $42 million in fraud,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “We’ve indicted men and women in 13 different districts just in the past seven weeks, and that effort will continue for as long as it takes.”
“The best part about Shawty Dred is that my amazing staff worried that I would be unable to pronounce Shawty Dred,” quipped the vice president during a Wednesday White House fraud task force briefing.
“The best part about Shawty Dred is that my amazing staff worried that I would be unable to pronounce Shawty Dred.”
Vice President JD Vance pokes fun at his staff for doubting he’d know how to pronounce the name of a suspected fraudster during a White House fraud task force briefing.
Vance plays a video of Shawty Dred appearing to show off a private jet before alleging the man is connected to $4.4 million in SNAP fraud.
Download the FOX News app to follow this developing story: https://t.co/ISpW9FcyGB
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 21, 2026
“SNAP exists to help hungry children eat; it does not exist to provide private jets to a guy like Shawty Dred,” the vice president said. “I understand he called almost 9,000 times and would take benefits that were spread across 350 accounts, collect them to himself, and then enrich himself in the process.”
“Part of what helped us identify Shawty Dred is the guy’s posting Instagram videos, and we’re able to connect the money that he’s making with the money that he’s then using to go and buy seats on private jets and all these other things,” Vance added.
New was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 7 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, the DOJ said. He was arrested on October 13.
In 2022, New was arrested for allegedly strutting around naked and urinating from a midtown Atlanta high-rise balcony.
“I’m famous! I’m on TV, bruh,” he told officers while being walked to the patrol car, according to WSB-TV 2. “I didn’t do this, man. No. I’m innocent. I promise I didn’t do this.”
- Obama-appointed SCOTUS justice slams conservative colleagues - October 22, 2026
- Cash-burning rapper who flaunted his wealth nailed by feds for $4M food stamp fraud - October 22, 2026
- Slugga: Musk rockets to the top of Dems’ target list if they win midterms - October 22, 2026
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.