Former Georgia State Lawmaker Pleads Guilty To Pandemic Unemployment Fraud

ATLANTA, Georgia – Karen L. Bennett, a former elected member of the Georgia House of Representatives, has pleaded guilty in federal court to making false statements to fraudulently obtain nearly $14,000 in emergency pandemic unemployment assistance.

Bennett, 70, of Stone Mountain, resigned her House seat on January 1, 2026. Prosecutors say that while serving as the representative for District 94 in 2020, she unlawfully collected unemployment benefits meant for workers who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to court records, Bennett applied for and submitted weekly certifications for pandemic unemployment assistance between March and August 2020. In those filings, she claimed her only income was $300 per week from the Georgia General Assembly and that her work at Metro Therapy Providers, Inc. had been interrupted due to COVID-19 restrictions. She also certified that she was actively seeking other employment.

Investigators later determined those claims were false. Bennett was also receiving a separate weekly paycheck of $905 from employment at a church, income she failed to disclose. In addition, she was the sole owner of Metro Therapy Providers and continued performing administrative work for the business from home, just as she had prior to the pandemic. Prosecutors say the company remained operational and continued generating revenue, and Bennett was not searching for other work.

As a result of those false statements, Bennett improperly received $13,940 in pandemic unemployment benefits.

Federal officials sharply criticized Bennett’s actions, noting that she took advantage of emergency relief programs while holding public office. Authorities emphasized that the funds were intended to help individuals facing genuine hardship during an unprecedented public health crisis.

Bennett pleaded guilty to making false statements to obtain funds administered by the U.S. Department of Labor. She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross.

The case was investigated by the Georgia Office of the State Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford is prosecuting the case.