Attorney General Alan Wilson announces arrest of Charleston woman for Medicaid fraud, forgery

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that his office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (SCMFCU) has arrested Faith Edith Skelton, 42 years old, of Charleston, S.C., for Forgery, less than $10,000 {16-13-10(A)} and Medical Assistance Provider Fraud (43-07-0060). Skelton was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on March 31, 2023.

An SCMFCU investigation revealed that between the dates of August 1, 2022 and December 3, 2022, Skelton, while employed as a respite care worker, knowingly and willfully caused false claims for payment by the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Medicaid Program. Specifically, it is alleged that Skelton forged signatures on fraudulent time sheets and submitted them to the Charles Lea Center for services that were never rendered to a South Carolina Medicaid beneficiary that resided in Charleston County. 

Forgery, less than $10,000 is a Class F felony, and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine at the discretion of the court, or both. Medical Assistance Provider Fraud is a Class A misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to three years in prison and a fine of not more than $1,000.

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 $2,318,568 for federal fiscal year 2023. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $772,852 for FFY 2023, is funded by South Carolina.