Former Georgia state Rep. Dexter Sharper, a Valdosta Democrat, pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges in court Wednesday as part of a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into pandemic-related fraud.
Prosecutors said Sharper, 54, fraudulently collected nearly $14,000 in unemployment benefits through a program aimed at helping those who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, though he was earning income from at least two jobs during that time. His income included at least $325 every week from the Georgia General Assembly as a state representative.
He faced one felony charge of making false statements in connection with the benefits, and could be sentenced to up to five years in prison and fined up to $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett Bradford said his office is recommending that Sharper pay roughly $10,100 in restitution.
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