ATLANTA — A Georgia lawmaker was arrested Monday and is accused of fraudulently collecting almost $18,000 in unemployment benefits during the pandemic, according to federal prosecutors.

A release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta said state Rep. Sharon Henderson was set to appear in court Monday afternoon and plead not guilty after being arrested and charged with two counts of theft of government funds and 10 counts of making false statements.

The release notes that emergency unemployment funds were made available to people who lost their jobs or were furloughed during the pandemic in 2020. The Department of Justice alleges that state Rep. Henderson applied for federal pandemic unemployment benefits while running for the Georgia House in 2020, claiming her "current employer" at

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