Georgia State Rep. Dexter Sharper has been charged with making false statements to obtain emergency pandemic unemployment assistance, according to federal prosecutors. The charges make Sharper the third Democratic lawmaker in Georgia to face indictment related to alleged misuse of COVID-19 relief programs.
Sharper, who represents parts of Lowndes County in House District 177, is accused of collecting $13,825 in unemployment benefits to which authorities say he was not entitled. Prosecutors allege that he applied for benefits in April 2020, claiming he had stopped working at his business, Dexter Sharper Party Rental, due to the pandemic.
According to court filings, Sharper submitted 38 weekly certifications between April 2020 and May 2021 stating that he was not working, had no income, and was seeking employment. Investigators later determined that during that same period, Sharper continued to earn income from multiple sources, including his legislative salary, his party rental business, and work as a substitute teacher for Lowndes County Schools.
Federal officials said employment and wage records confirmed that Sharper earned income from at least two jobs, and in some cases three, while certifying that he was unemployed. Sharper, 54, appeared Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Russell G. Vineyard in Atlanta. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia with assistance from the FBI and the Georgia Office of the State Inspector General.
Sharper has served in the Georgia House of Representatives since 2017 and was first elected in 2016. His case follows similar prosecutions involving other Georgia lawmakers, including former Rep. Karen Bennett and Rep. Sharon Henderson, who were also charged in connection with alleged pandemic unemployment fraud. All cases remain pending as the legal process continues.
