Former Georgia state representative Dexter Sharper pleaded guilty on March 11, 2026, to a federal charge of making false statements to obtain pandemic unemployment benefits, capping a fraud case that ended his 13-year tenure in the Georgia House. Sharper, a Valdosta Democrat who represented District 177, admitted to collecting $13,825 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance while he was still drawing legislative pay and running a party rental business. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 21, 2026.1WCTV. Former State Representative From Valdosta Changes Plea in Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Case2Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Second State Lawmaker Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Unemployment Fraud
What Sharper Lied About
Sharper applied for pandemic unemployment assistance in April 2020 and kept collecting weekly benefits through May 2021. His initial application said he had not worked since March 2020. Over 38 follow-up weekly certifications, he repeated that he was unemployed, had earned no wages, and was actively looking for work.3U.S. Department of Justice. Third State Representative Charged With Pandemic Unemployment Fraud
During that same stretch, prosecutors said, he was drawing at least $325 a week from his seat in the Georgia General Assembly, up to $2,231 a week through Dexter Sharper Party Rental, and up to $275 a week as a musician.3U.S. Department of Justice. Third State Representative Charged With Pandemic Unemployment Fraud His unemployment paperwork itself acknowledged that he had worked for the party rental business more than seven years at 40 hours a week.1WCTV. Former State Representative From Valdosta Changes Plea in Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Case
Resignation and Guilty Plea
Sharper was arraigned on January 30, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Russell G. Vineyard in the Northern District of Georgia on one count of making false statements to obtain funds administered by the U.S. Department of Labor.4U.S. Department of Justice. Third Georgia State Representative Charged With Pandemic Unemployment Fraud
On March 9, 2026, he announced his resignation from the Georgia House on Facebook.5WALB. Valdosta Representative Resigns From Georgia House1WCTV. Former State Representative From Valdosta Changes Plea in Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Case6CBS News Atlanta. Rep. Dexter Sharper COVID Unemployment Fraud Guilty Plea Resignation
What Sentencing Could Look Like
Sharper will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen on July 21, 2026. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford is prosecuting the case.2Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Second State Lawmaker Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Unemployment Fraud The charge carries a statutory maximum of five years in federal prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.6CBS News Atlanta. Rep. Dexter Sharper COVID Unemployment Fraud Guilty Plea Resignation
The most useful benchmark for what Sharper might actually receive is a codefendant of sorts: former Representative Karen Bennett of Stone Mountain, the first of three Georgia lawmakers charged in this related string of pandemic-fraud cases. Bennett pleaded guilty to collecting $13,940 in benefits, an amount close to Sharper’s, and was sentenced to time served with no prison time, a $1,000 fine, and full restitution.7Fox 5 Atlanta. Ex-Georgia Lawmaker Sentenced in Pandemic Fraud8CBS News Atlanta. Former Georgia House Rep. Karen Bennett Sentenced to Time Served The statutory maximums remain what the judge could impose; Bennett’s sentence shows what a judge did impose on comparable facts.
The District 177 Seat
Sharper’s resignation triggered a special election for House District 177, which the Georgia Secretary of State set for May 12, 2026.9Georgia Secretary of State. Call for Special Election State House District 177 Six candidates qualified. No one cleared 50 percent: Alvin Payton Jr. led with 36 percent and Eric Howard came second with 20 percent, sending the two Democrats to a June 9, 2026 runoff.10WCTV. Lowndes County Runoff Election Held for Rep. 177th Seat
Where Sharper’s Case Fits Among the Georgia Lawmaker Prosecutions
Sharper is the third of three Georgia state representatives charged in separate but related federal cases investigated by the Georgia Office of the State Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the FBI under the DOJ’s COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force.11U.S. Department of Justice. Former Georgia State Representative Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Scheme Bennett pleaded guilty in January 2026. The third, Sharon Henderson of Covington, was indicted in December 2025 on two counts of theft of government funds and ten counts of making false statements tied to $17,811 in benefits; she has pleaded not guilty and, as of late May 2026, had a June 27, 2026 deadline to decide on a plea deal.12Covington News. Sharon Henderson Granted 30-Day Continuance on Plea Deal Decision The three cases are being handled separately.