Attorney General Alan Wilson announces arrest of Seneca woman for Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult and Fraud

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that his office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (SCMFCU) has arrested Jennifer Helen Wilks, 43 years old, of Seneca, S.C., for one count of Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult {43-35-0085 (D)} and one count of Financial Transactions Card Fraud, more than $500 in a six-month period {16-14-0060(A)(1-5)}. Wilks was booked into the Anderson County Detention Center on March 1, 2024.

A joint investigation by the SCMFCU and the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office revealed that, between November 25, 2022 and August 23, 2023, Wilks made unlawful and unauthorized use of the funds and assets of a vulnerable adult. Specifically, it is alleged that Wilks used the victim’s debit card numerous times to make purchases for her benefit that totaled over $500 in a six-month period. The victim, a vulnerable adult under South Carolina law, was an inpatient at Oconee Memorial Hospital and later transitioned to Condor Health and Rehabilitation Center in Anderson.

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 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 between $3,000 and $5,000, or both.

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.