Attorney General Alan Wilson announces arrest of Barnwell woman for stealing from assisted living resident

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that his office’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit (VAMPF) has arrested Phyllis J. Daniels, 36 years old, of Barnwell, S.C., for one count of Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult {43-35-0085 (D)} and Financial Transaction Card Fraud {16-14-0060(A)}, value more than $500 in a six-month period. Daniels was booked into the Aiken County Detention Center on June 24, 2024.

A joint investigation by VAMPF and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) revealed that between December 20, 2021 and January 15, 2022, Daniels made unlawful and unauthorized use of the funds and assets of a vulnerable adult. Specifically, it is alleged that Daniels, with an intent to defraud, obtained and used the victim’s debit card to obtain money, goods or services without permission. The victim, a vulnerable adult under South Carolina law, resided at Shadow Oaks Assisted Living Community in Aiken at the time of the alleged misconduct.

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 up to $5,000, or both. Financial Transactions Card Fraud, 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 more than $5,000, 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.

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.