South Georgia lawmaker charged with unemployment fraud

By: Alander Rocha

Outlets: Georgia Recorder

Published: January 30, 2026

Words: 487

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 5 days ago

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A third Georgia state lawmaker was charged Friday with unemployment fraud in a pandemic-era safety net program.

Rep. Dexter Sharper, a Valdosta Democrat, was arraigned Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Russell G. Vineyard, according to a U.S. Department of Justice press release. Sharper faces federal charges of making false statements to obtain nearly $14,000 in unemployment assistance that Congress allocated to help those who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of …

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