Third Georgia State Representative Charged with Pandemic Unemployment Fraud — Northern District of Georgia (January 30, 2026)

Summary

Press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia, dated January 30, 2026. Dexter L. Sharper, a member of the Georgia House of Representatives, was charged with making false statements to fraudulently obtain thousands of dollars of emergency pandemic unemployment assistance payments, and was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Russell G. Vineyard. The release says Sharper allegedly applied for unemployment assistance benefits for April 2020 through May 2021 and collected a total of $13,825 of benefits to which Sharper was not entitled. It lists two other Georgia State Representatives previously charged with similar pandemic unemployment assistance fraud, Karen L. Bennett and Sharon Henderson.

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PRESS RELEASE


Third Georgia State Representative
charged with pandemic unemployment
fraud
Friday, January 30, 2026

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia
usagan.pressemails@usdoj.gov

ATLANTA - Dexter L. Sharper, a member of the Georgia House of Representatives, was
charged today with making false statements to fraudulently obtain thousands of dollars
of emergency pandemic unemployment assistance payments.

“While many of his constituents and fellow citizens were losing jobs and desperately
needed unemployment assistance during the pandemic, Representative Sharper
allegedly pretended to be out of work to collect a share of unemployment benefits for
himself,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “When government officials lie to
take money, and do it while holding an elected office, it violates the trust of citizens and
weakens faith in our elected government.”

“These charges point to some disgraceful conduct at the highest level, which should
shock and repulse every citizen”, said Georgia State Inspector General Nigel Lange. “The
alleged activities describe a disgusting abuse by an elected official who appeared to
trade his integrity for money destined for those in need. Shameful.”

“Dexter L. Sharper, while serving as an elected member of the Georgia House of
Representatives, is alleged to have unlawfully enriched himself by improperly obtaining
taxpayer funds from the unemployment insurance program intended to assist American
workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito,
Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “These charges
reflect allegations, and the case will be resolved through the judicial process. We will
continue our efforts to investigate and pursue accountability for those who are charged
with defrauding taxpayers by exploiting Department of Labor programs.”
“Nobody is above the law, including elected officials,” said FBI Atlanta Acting Special
Agent in Charge Peter Ellis. “Those who violate the public trust and steal from taxpayers
to fill their own pockets will be held accountable.”

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in
court: In 2020, in response to the forced closures of businesses and unprecedented
economic hardship resulting from the COVID-19 emergency, the U.S. Congress created
special unemployment compensation programs to provide cash assistance to individuals
who lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Applicants had to provide a certification for
every week for which they wished to claim benefits, attesting to whether they were
actively seeking work for the week and the reason they were unemployed.

Sharper, while serving as the Georgia State Representative for District 177, which
includes portions of Lowndes County, allegedly applied for unemployment assistance
benefits for April 2020 through May 2021. In his initial application, he stated that he had
only one employer, Dexter Sharper Party Rental, which had employed him for 40 hours
per week for over seven years, but had not worked since March 13, 2020. Then, in 38
separate weekly certifications, he stated that had not worked or earned any wages, was
actively looking for work, and had not refused any work.

Contrary to those claims, Sharper was allegedly working and earning money from at
least two—and sometimes three—jobs each week. He received at least $325 every week
from the Georgia General Assembly for his position as Georgia State Representative.
Sharper’s party rental business was operating and generating income of up to $2,231 of
income per week. And Sharper was also collecting up to an additional $275 per week for
work as a musician.

As a result of the allegedly false initial application and 38 subsequent certifications,
Sharper collected a total of $13,825 of unemployment assistance benefits to which he
was not entitled.

Dexter L. Sharper, 54, of Valdosta, Georgia, was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate
Judge Russell G. Vineyard, on federal charges of making false statements to obtain
funds administered by the U.S. Department of Labor. Members of the public are
reminded that the criminal information only contains charges. The defendant is
presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the
defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

Two other Georgia State Representatives were previously charged with similar pandemic
unemployment assistance fraud:
   •   Karen L. Bennett, Georgia State Representative for District 94 until she resigned
       on January 1, 2026, pleaded guilty on January 21, 2026, to federal charges of
       making false statements in connection with receiving $13,940 of pandemic
       unemployment benefits.
   •   Sharon Henderson, Georgia State Representative for District 113, was federally
       indicted on December 2, 2025, for theft of government funds and making false
       statements in connection with receiving $17,811 of pandemic unemployment
       benefits.

This case is being investigated by the Georgia Office of the State Inspector General, U.S.
Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and
DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford is prosecuting the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement
Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with
agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-
related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most
culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with
administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting
and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and
techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing
information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information
on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please
visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can
report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud
(NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form
at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office
at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S.
Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-
ndga.

Updated January 30, 2026

Topics
CORONAVIRUS
PUBLIC CORRUPTION
Component
USAO - Georgia, Northern


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