South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that his office’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit (VAMPF) has arrested Elisa R. Niles, 42 years old, of North Charleston, S.C., on two counts of Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult {43-35-0085 (D)}, two counts of Financial Identity Fraud {16-13-0510(B)}, and two counts of Obtaining Property under False Pretense, value less than $2,000 {16-13-0260}. Niles was booked into the Charleston County Detention Center on December 12, 2024.
An investigation by VAMPF revealed that, between December 1, 2023, and May 24, 2024, Niles is alleged to have knowingly made unlawful and unauthorized use of the funds and assets of a vulnerable adult. Specifically, it is alleged that Niles, while employed as a caregiver at Ashley Gardens, obtained bank account information belonging to the victims and unlawfully appropriated funds or assets. Additionally, investigators allege that Niles then knowingly and willfully used the victims’ bank accounts to make personal payments for herself or another person in amounts less than $2,000. The victims, vulnerable adults under South Carolina law, resided in nursing facilities in Charleston County at the time of the alleged misconduct.
These allegations were referred to VAMPF by the South Carolina Department on Aging Long Term Care Ombudsman. This case 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 of up to $5,000, or both. Financial Identity Fraud is a felony and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a fine at the discretion of the court, or both. Obtaining Property under False Pretense, value less than $2,000 is a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to 30 days in jail or a fine of not more than $1,000.
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 $2,889,252 for federal fiscal year 2025. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $963,084 for FFY 2025, is funded by South Carolina.
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