Sharon Henderson. State of Georgia official photo.
ATLANTA - A suspended Georgia state representative pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court after making false statements to steal thousands of dollars in emergency pandemic assistance.
What we know:
Sharon Henderson, 67, of Covington, pleaded guilty in federal court to making false statements to obtain taxpayer-funded pandemic relief.
Investigators said Henderson fraudulently collected $17,811 in pandemic unemployment benefits after filing a false application and eight fraudulent weekly certifications.
In her June 2020 application, Henderson claimed her job at Henry County Schools was halted by COVID-19, but federal officials revealed she had only worked five days as a substitute teacher nearly two years prior.
She submitted weekly fraudulent claims in June 2021 while serving as the elected state representative for District 113, which covers western Newton County and part of Covington.
What they're saying:
"While running for and holding political office, Representative Henderson was fleecing taxpayers, lying to steal money from federal programs intended to help people who lost their jobs due to the pandemic," U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said. "Her prosecution and conviction demonstrate that elected officials who enrich themselves through fraud will be held accountable for violating the public’s trust."
What's next:
Henderson is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 3 at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown. The case was investigated by the Georgia Office of the State Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and the FBI, with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford.
Two other former state lawmakers were previously convicted in similar schemes: Karen L. Bennett pleaded guilty on Jan. 21 for stealing $13,940, and Dexter L. Sharper pleaded guilty on March 11 for taking $13,825 in unauthorized pandemic benefits.
What we don't know:
Officials have not publicly disclosed the maximum sentence or specific prison time Henderson could face under federal sentencing guidelines. Authorities have also not specified whether full financial restitution of the stolen $17,811 has already been made.
RELATED:
- Ex-Georgia lawmaker sentenced for pandemic fraud
- Georgia lawmaker Dexter Sharper charged in pandemic unemployment fraud case
The Source: The information in this story is gathered from a released by the United States Department of Justice for the Northern District of Georgia.