Georgia Democrat state legislator Sharon Henderson was arrested on Monday morning and charged with defrauding the federal government.
Henderson was indicted for Covid pandemic unemployment fraud.
A federal grand jury charged Henderson with two counts of theft of government funds and ten counts of making false statements.
Per the DOJ:
In June 2020, while a candidate for a Georgia House seat, Henderson allegedly applied for federal pandemic unemployment benefits claiming that her current employer was Henry County Schools.
Although Henderson had worked as a substitute teacher for Henry County Schools for five days in 2018 (almost two years prior), she had not worked for Henry County Schools since then.
Additionally, the Substitute Teacher Agreement Henderson signed in 2018 included an acknowledgment that substitute teachers are not eligible to draw unemployment wages. Nevertheless, Henderson allegedly stated in the application that she had worked for the school system throughout 2019 and as recently as March 10, 2020; that she had paystubs as evidence of that employment in 2019; and that her place of employment was closed as a direct result of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
She then allegedly submitted weekly certifications stating that she was unable to reach her place of employment because of a COVID-19 quarantine. She allegedly submitted eight of those certifications in June 2021, after she was sworn in and serving as the state representative for District 113, which covers western Newton County and part of Covington, Georgia.
Henderson allegedly collected $17,811 of pandemic unemployment benefits to which she was not entitled as a result of false statements in her application and weekly certifications.
Hellbound and Down 