Attorney General Alan Wilson announces Greenville Co. man charged with stealing from assisted living facility resident

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that his office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (SCMFCU) has arrested George Benford Woodruff, 69 years old of Marietta, S.C., for Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult {43-35-0085 (D)} and Obtaining Property under False Pretenses, value of more than $2,000 but less than $10,000 {16-13-0240}. Woodruff was booked into the Greenville County Detention Center on October 31, 2023.

An investigation by the SCMFCU revealed that, between April 1, 2022 through October 31, 2022, Woodruff made unlawful and unauthorized use of the funds and assets of a vulnerable adult. It is alleged that Woodruff accessed the victim’s bank account and debit card to make unauthorized purchases and cash withdrawals totaling $6,251.39. The victim, a vulnerable adult under South Carolina law, resided at an assisted living facility during the time of the alleged misconduct.

This case was referred to the SCMCU from the Appalachian Council of Governments’ Long Term Care Ombudsman Program and 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 under False Pretenses, value $2,000 but less than $10,000, is a felony and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine at the discretion of the court, 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.