A Georgia state representative has pleaded guilty to making false statements after failing to report income while collecting pandemic unemployment benefits, federal prosecutors said.
Former state Rep. Dexter Sharper, a Democrat from Valdosta, admitted Wednesday that he did not disclose his income from serving in the Georgia General Assembly and other business earnings when applying for federal unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to an indictment filed in U.S. District Court, Sharper was receiving between $361 and $325 per week for his legislative service but did not report those payments when filing for unemployment assistance.
Prosecutors also said Sharper falsely claimed he was not working at his business, Dexter Sharper Party Rental. In reality, authorities said the business was generating as much as $2,000 per week during the period he collected benefits.
Sharper entered the guilty plea just days after resigning his seat in the Georgia House of Representatives.
Federal prosecutors said they are not recommending jail time as part of the plea agreement. However, Sharper has been ordered to pay $10,096 in restitution to the Georgia Department of Labor.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 21.
Sharper is not the only Georgia lawmaker to face charges related to pandemic unemployment fraud.
Former state Rep. Karen Bennett, a Democrat from Stone Mountain, pleaded guilty in January to making false statements connected to pandemic unemployment benefits.
Bennett collected nearly $14,000 in benefits but failed to report income of approximately $905 per week she was earning while working for a church, according to federal prosecutors.
She resigned her legislative seat in January and is expected to repay the full amount if the sentencing recommendation is approved during an April 15 court hearing.
Another Georgia legislator, Covington Democrat Sharon Henderson, was also charged in December with two counts of theft of government funds and 10 counts of making false statements related to unemployment benefits.
Gov. Brian Kemp suspended Henderson from office following the charges.
Prosecutors said Henderson first applied for pandemic unemployment benefits in June 2020 while campaigning for her seat in the Georgia House.
In her application, Henderson claimed she was employed by Henry County Schools.
Authorities said that claim was misleading because Henderson had only worked as a substitute teacher for five days in 2018 and had not worked for the school system since then.
Federal investigators also noted that the substitute teacher agreement Henderson signed acknowledged that substitute teachers were not eligible to receive unemployment benefits.
The cases are part of a broader effort by federal authorities to investigate and prosecute fraudulent claims made through pandemic relief programs.
