Georgia State Rep. Sharon Henderson Faces Federal Indictment Over Alleged $17,811 Pandemic Unemployment Fraud

Atlanta, GA – December 8, 2025  State Representative Sharon Henderson, a Democrat representing District 113 in western Newton County, was arrested Monday morning on federal charges accusing her of stealing nearly $18,000 in pandemic-era unemployment benefits. The indictment, unsealed by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia, paints a picture of alleged deceit that continued even after Henderson assumed office, prompting sharp condemnation from federal prosecutors who decried the betrayal of public trust.Henderson, 62, of Covington, faces two counts of theft of government funds and ten counts of making false statements to federal authorities.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the charges stem from a fraudulent application Henderson allegedly submitted in June 2020 for federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits—emergency aid programs enacted by Congress to support workers devastated by COVID-19 shutdowns. At the time, Henderson was campaigning for the Georgia House seat she would ultimately win in November 2020.

Prosecutors allege Henderson falsely claimed Henry County Schools as her "current employer," asserting she had worked there throughout 2019 and as recently as March 10, 2020, when the school system purportedly shuttered due to the public health crisis. In reality, federal investigators say Henderson's last stint with the district was a mere five days as a substitute teacher in 2018—a fact she acknowledged in her hiring paperwork, which explicitly stated that substitute teachers were ineligible for unemployment benefits.

The scheme allegedly extended into 2021, with Henderson submitting weekly certifications to maintain her benefits. Shockingly, eight of these filings occurred in June 2021, months after she was sworn into office on January 11, 2021, representing a district that includes parts of Covington and faced its own hardships during the pandemic. "It is shocking that a public official would allegedly lie to profit from an emergency program designed to help suffering community members," U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Theodore S. Hertzberg said in a statement. "Politicians who violate the public trust and steal from the needy to enrich themselves will be held accountable."

FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown echoed the sentiment, accusing Henderson of "choos[ing] greed over compassion by fraudulently obtaining funds meant to help those in need, some in her own Georgia House district." All told, the government contends Henderson pocketed $17,811 in unauthorized payments through these misrepresentations.

Henderson was taken into custody early Monday and appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the afternoon, where she was released on $10,000 bond. She is expected to enter a not guilty plea, though her office has not yet responded to repeated requests for comment from multiple news outlets. When approached by The Associated Press outside the courthouse, Henderson declined to speak.The case arrives amid heightened scrutiny of pandemic relief fraud nationwide, with the U.S. Department of Labor estimating billions in improper payments across unemployment programs. In Georgia alone, state audits have flagged millions in questionable claims, though this marks a rare instance of a sitting lawmaker facing such allegations.

Elected in 2020 as a champion for education and community issues in her majority-Black district, Henderson's tenure has included advocacy for cancer awareness and local infrastructure. However, the indictment threatens to overshadow her record and could trigger calls for resignation from colleagues across the aisle. As of Monday evening, neither House Speaker Jon Burns nor Democratic leadership had issued public statements.

Legal experts note that if convicted, Henderson could face up to ten years in prison per theft count and five years per false statement charge, along with hefty fines and restitution. Her trial date has not yet been set, but the fallout is already rippling through Atlanta's Capitol, where questions of accountability in public service have taken on renewed urgency.