Attorney General Alan Wilson announces arrest of caregiver accused of stealing from disabled residents

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that his office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (SCMFCU) has arrested Shahirah A. King-Dunson, 29 years old, of Columbia, S.C., for Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult {43-35-0085 (D)} and Obtaining Signature or Property by False Pretenses, value $2,000 or less {16-13-240(3)}. King-Dunson was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on November 20, 2023.

An SCMFCU investigation revealed that between March 17, 2022, through March 18, 2022, King-Dunson knowingly and willfully made improper, unlawful, and unauthorized use of the funds of two vulnerable adult victims. Specifically, it is alleged that King-Dunson, being entrusted with the funds of the vulnerable adults, made withdrawals from the personal bank accounts of two disabled residents totaling approximately $515.00. During the alleged misconduct, King-Dunson was employed as a caregiver at the Babcock Center in Columbia, S.C., where the residents resided. 

The Babcock Center detected and reported this conduct to law enforcement shortly after its alleged occurrence and cooperated fully with investigators. 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. Obtaining Signature or Property by False Pretenses, value $2,000 or less, is a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, has a penalty of a fine of not more than $1,000 or up to 30 days in jail.

Pursuant to federal regulations, the SCMFCU 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 SCMFCU 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.