"Rich Life Shawty Dred"

Vice President JD Vance on alleged fraudster Shawty Dred: “This is a man that we have connected to $4.4 million in fraud against the SNAP program. A guy who is quite literally taking food from the mouths of children so that he can enrich himself… We have prosecuted this guy and prosecuted so many other fraudsters, and we’re going to keep on doing it. Because one of the most important lessons we can send is that you shouldn’t be able to, and you can’t get rich off of fraud. SNAP exists to help hungry children eat. It does not exist to provide private jets to a guy like Shawty Dred.”

— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) October 21, 2026

…prosecuted so many other fraudsters, and we’re going to keep on doing it. Because one of the most important lessons we can send is that you shouldn’t be able to, and you can’t get rich off of fraud. SNAP exists to help hungry children eat. It does not exist to provide private jets to a guy like Shawty Dred.”

An Atlanta rapper who goes by "Rich Life Shawty Dred" got indicted this month for food stamp fraud. $4.4 million worth. Mercedes New owned a corner store approved to take SNAP, and that authorization let him cash strangers' benefit cards out through his own register. Phones tied to him called the EBT balance line more than 9,000 times, hitting over 350 accounts. Investigators linked 500-plus Georgia benefit cards to him. Last November cops caught him outside an East Point Walmart soliciting shoppers to sell their EBT cards. Feds grabbed him in Las Vegas October 13. One of 40-plus charged in the first national food-stamp fraud sweep. Nearly $42 million in benefits.

— IredcapI (@IredcapI) October 21, 2026

… to him called the EBT balance line more than 9,000 times, hitting over 350 accounts. Investigators linked 500-plus Georgia benefit cards to him.

Last November cops caught him outside an East Point Walmart soliciting shoppers to sell their EBT cards. Feds grabbed him in Las Vegas October 13.

One of 40-plus charged in the first national food-stamp fraud sweep. Nearly $42 million in benefits.

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