Agriculture Secretary Posts Image of Accused SNAP Fraudster Days Before Midterms

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins shared a photo of a Black man standing in front of stacks of cash on the social platform X on Saturday, labeling him a SNAP fraudster. The post appeared days before the midterm elections and coincided with the White House sharing a graphic of a pumpkin carved with a sombrero shape.

Critics described the online activity as inflammatory rhetoric intended to target voters. The timing aligns with the administration's recent push to showcase aggressive immigration enforcement and fraud crackdowns. Rising healthcare costs and economic stressors have made affordability a primary concern for many voters in this cycle.

The image posted by Rollins depicts the man holding a burning bill against a backdrop of fake Spirit Halloween costume packaging. The caption reads, "Some costumes come with a price tag. This one comes with a prison sentence." The photograph appears to be sourced from an Instagram post by an account named Shawty Dred from September 2025.

Mercedes Reshard New, known online as Shawty Dred, was arrested on October 13 on federal charges. The Justice Department accused him of fraudulently obtaining more than $4 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in Georgia. Federal prosecutors said New controlled more than 350 fraudulent SNAP accounts under stolen identities between January 2020 and July 2026.

New allegedly used his company, Shawty Dred LLC, to become an authorized SNAP retailer and used EBT debit cards to extract the funds. His Instagram account, which has over two million followers, featured images of private jets, Rolls-Royce vehicles, and large sums of cash. Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta Marlo Graham stated that New used the cash to bankroll a life of luxury instead of feeding families in need.

This is not the first time the White House faced accusations of using inflammatory imagery. During the government shutdown more than a year ago, the administration circulated a deepfake video of House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries wearing a fake mustache and sombrero. Jeffries called the meme bigoted, and Vice President JD Vance promised the sombrero memes would stop once Democrats agreed to end the shutdown.

The administration has intensified anti-immigrant rhetoric in recent weeks. Federal agents searched the Washington, D.C., home of Rep. Ilhan Omar earlier this month while investigating potential fraud in her family's immigration paperwork. Omar is a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Somalia.

Federal authorities have also taken punitive steps in states led by Democrats, including California and Minnesota. Governors in those states accused the federal government of targeting their regions for political reasons. New was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 7 on dozens of counts of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. He remains in federal custody, and court records show he has a prior arrest history for crimes including identity theft and insurance fraud.

The White House, Rollins, and the NAACP did not respond to requests for comment. New's federal defender, Joseph Austin, did not return a phone message. The administration's social media accounts continue to share content focused on fraud and immigration enforcement as the election date approaches.