Georgia State Representative Dexter Sharper has been indicted on federal charges alleging he illegally collected more than $13,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits while maintaining multiple streams of income, including his position as an elected state legislator.
The indictment, announced Friday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, marks the third Georgia Democrat charged in connection with fraudulent COVID-19 relief claims in recent months, adding to a growing string of public corruption cases tied to pandemic assistance.
Federal prosecutors allege that between April 2020 and May 2021, Sharper submitted 38 separate weekly certifications to the Georgia Department of Labor, claiming he had no income, was unemployed, and actively seeking work. In total, he received $13,825 in federal emergency pandemic assistance under the CARES Act — funds intended to support workers who lost their jobs as a direct result of the COVID-19 shutdowns.
Investigators determined those claims were false. According to the Justice Department, Sharper not only continued operating his private business, Dexter Sharper Party Rental, during that period, but also received his annual legislative salary of roughly $17,000 and was employed as a substitute teacher with Lowndes County Schools.
Federal records show Sharper consistently earned wages from at least two, and sometimes three, different sources each week he was certifying for benefits. Prosecutors say that pattern of behavior demonstrates “knowing and willful deception” of state and federal authorities.
Sharper, 54, was arraigned Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Russell G. Vineyard in Atlanta. The FBI’s Atlanta Field Office and the Georgia Office of the State Inspector General are jointly handling the case, which is part of a broader Justice Department effort to identify and prosecute COVID-19 relief fraud.
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said in a statement that Sharper “allegedly exploited his position for personal gain and took money intended for those who truly suffered financial hardship during a national crisis.”
Buchanan emphasized that pandemic-era fraud “undermines trust in government and deprives honest Americans of the help they were promised.”
Sharper has represented Georgia’s 177th District, centered in Valdosta, since first being elected in 2016. A longtime fixture in the local community, he previously operated his event rental company and worked as an educator.
The charges now threaten both his legislative seat and political future.
This latest indictment adds to a pattern of criminal cases involving Georgia Democrats accused of abusing COVID-19 relief programs.
Former State Rep. Karen Bennett pleaded guilty earlier this month to falsifying information to obtain unemployment assistance.
Another Democrat, Rep. Sharon Henderson, was indicted in December on federal theft and false statement charges and subsequently suspended by Governor Brian Kemp pending trial.
The U.S. Department of Justice has described pandemic-era unemployment assistance as one of the most heavily targeted relief programs for fraud, with improper payments across the nation totaling tens of billions of dollars. Federal authorities have made it a top enforcement priority, creating specialized task forces to track and recover stolen funds.
Legal experts note that public officials like Sharper face enhanced penalties if convicted, given their positions of public trust. A conviction could result in prison time, restitution of the stolen funds, and permanent disqualification from holding public office in Georgia.
Neither Sharper nor his legal counsel have commented publicly. His arraignment marks the beginning of what could become a closely watched political and legal battle, as state and federal prosecutors continue to uncover widespread abuse of taxpayer-funded relief programs meant to stabilize Americans during the pandemic.