Overview
- On Thursday, July 30, 2026, Rep. Sharon Henderson pleaded guilty in federal court to making false statements after investigators say she obtained $17,811 in pandemic unemployment benefits.
- Prosecutors say Henderson’s June 2020 application claimed employment with Henry County Schools even though she had not worked for the district since 2018 and had only five days of substitute teaching on record.
- Court filings show Henderson submitted eight additional weekly certifications around June 2021 while serving as the elected representative for House District 113.
- The case was investigated by the Georgia Office of the State Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and the FBI and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office; she was suspended from the Georgia House in January and is scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 3 before U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown.
- Henderson’s plea is the third conviction tied to pandemic unemployment fraud by Georgia lawmakers this year, a pattern that has left District 113 vacant during legislative sessions and prompted calls for stronger oversight and potential restitution to federal programs.