Fraud cases name former representatives over pandemic benefit claims

A former Georgia lawmaker is accused of claiming about $13,940 in pandemic unemployment assistance she was not eligible for, and federal prosecutors point to a separate Minnesota scheme that led to convictions over roughly $250 million in stolen aid.

A former Georgia state representative has been charged in federal court over allegations she received pandemic unemployment assistance she was not eligible to receive. Prosecutors say the application misstated her employment and income. The charges were filed shortly after she announced her retirement from the legislature. The reporting connects this case to a much larger Minnesota investigation that produced convictions for a multi‑million‑dollar fraud scheme. Known details: - Karen Bennett is accused of collecting $13,940 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance that prosecutors say she was not entitled to, according to a federal criminal information filing. - Prosecutors allege Bennett misrepresented her employment and income on the PUA application, and the Department of Justice filed charges after her announced retirement. - Georgia state representative Sharon Henderson was arrested earlier on allegations she collected about $18,000 in pandemic benefits she was not entitled to and has pleaded not guilty. - In Minnesota, prosecutors investigated the Feeding Our Future nonprofit; two leaders, Aimee Bock and Salim Said, were convicted for roles in a scheme reported as involving about $250 million in federal aid, and roughly 70 people were charged in that case. Summary: The cases reported here involve federal allegations about misuse of pandemic benefit programs and, in Minnesota, resulted in criminal convictions for some defendants. Undetermined at this time.