South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that his office’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit (VAMPF) has arrested Rose Sherrie Davis, 64 years old, of Irmo, SC for one count of Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult {43-35-0085 (D)}, one count of Financial Identity Fraud {16-13-0510(B)}, two (2) counts of Financial Transaction Card Fraud, value more than $500 in a six-month period {16-14-0060(a)(1-5)}, and one count of Breach of Trust with Fraudulent Intent, value $10,000 or more {16-13-0230(A)}. Davis was booked into the Charleston County Detention Center on September 20, 2024.
An investigation by VAMPF revealed that, between November 10, 2021 and April 29, 2022, Davis is alleged to have knowingly made unlawful and unauthorized use of the funds and assets of a vulnerable adult. Specifically, it is alleged that Davis, while being entrusted as the victim’s power-of-attorney, used the personal identifying information to access the victim’s bank accounts and converted $102,109.04 of the victim’s money for her own personal use. It is also alleged that Davis, with the intent to defraud, obtained and used two debit cards belonging to the victim to make charges of over $500 in a six-month period. The victim, a vulnerable adult under South Carolina law, resided at NHC Healthcare West Ashley in Charleston at the time of the alleged misconduct.
This case was referred to VAMPF through a hotline (1-888-NO-CHEAT) complaint from a concerned citizen and will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.
Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult is a felony and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine not exceeding $5,000, or both. Breach of Trust value more than $10,000 is a felony and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to 10 years in prison or a fine at the discretion of the court. Financial Transaction Card Fraud, value more than $500 in a six-month period is a felony and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of not less than $3,000, or both. Financial Identity Fraud is a felony and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to ten years in prison, a fine at the discretion of the court, or both.
Pursuant to federal regulations, VAMPF has authority over Medicaid provider fraud; abuse and neglect of Medicaid beneficiaries in any setting; and the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of individuals residing in assisted living facilities or nursing homes.
Attorney General Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.
The South Carolina Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, dba VAMPF, receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $2,698,638 for federal fiscal year 2024. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $899,546 for FFY 2024, is funded by South Carolina.
Original source can be found here.