Attorney General Alan Wilson announces former independent living facility employee charged with stealing from 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 Shelby N. Campbell, 36 years old, of Darlington, S.C. 

Campbell faces the following charge:

• One count of Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult (§ 43-35-85(D))

Campbell was booked into the Darlington County Detention Center on January 14, 2026.

An investigation by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit (VAMPF) concluded that, from August 17, 2024, to August 20, 2024, Shelby Campbell knowingly and willfully exploited a vulnerable adult by making unauthorized use of the individual's funds for her own benefit or profit.

According to investigators, Campbell—a former employee at an independent living facility in Darlington County where the victim resided—illegally obtained the victim's bank card information and linked it to her personal Cash App and PayPal accounts. She is accused of then initiating unauthorized electronic transfers of the victim's money.

At the time of the alleged offenses, the victim—defined as a vulnerable adult under South Carolina law—was a resident of Bethea Baptist Retirement Community and Health Care.

The facility promptly reported the suspected misconduct to VAMPF and provided full cooperation throughout the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office.

South Carolina Felony Offense and Penalty:

• Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult – Felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years, a fine of not 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 that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.

The South Carolina Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, dba VAMPF, receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $2,964,287 for federal fiscal year 2026. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $988,096 for FFY 2026, is funded by South Carolina.