Attorney General Alan Wilson announces Chapin man arrested for fraud, exploiting vulnerable adult

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that his office’s  Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (SCMFCU) has arrested David Gregory Crider, 50 years old, of Chapin, S.C., for Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult {43-35-0085 (D)} and Breach of Trust with Fraudulent Intent, value of $10,000 or more {16-13-230 (B)(3)}. Crider was booked into the Lexington County Detention Center on May 6, 2022.

An SCMFCU investigation revealed that between the dates of October 1, 2021, and March 15, 2022, Crider had power of attorney for the victim and willfully made, with fraudulent intent, unlawful and improper use of the victim’s funds and assets. During the time of the alleged misconduct, the victim, a vulnerable adult under South Carolina law, lived in the Memory Care Unit at Wellmore of Lexington, who referred this matter to the AG for investigation.

Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult is a felony with penalties of up to five years in prison, a fine up to $5,000, or both. Breach of Trust with Fraudulent Intent, value $10,000 or more is also a felony and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to 10 years in prison or a fine at the discretion of the court.

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 $1,927,636 for Federal fiscal year 2022. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $642,544 for FY 2022, is funded by South Carolina.