Attorney General Alan Wilson announces Lexington man charged with stealing more than $143,000 from vulnerable adult

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that his office’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit (VAMPF) has arrested John Lemuel Morrell Jr, 60 years old, of Lexington, S.C., for Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult {43-35-0085 (D)} and Grand Larceny, value $10,000 or more {16-13-0030(B)(2)}.  Morrell was booked into the Lexington County Detention Center on January 17, 2025.

An investigation by VAMPF revealed that, between October 21, 2019 and April 11, 2024, Morrell is alleged to have knowingly made unlawful and unauthorized use of the funds and assets of a vulnerable adult. Specifically, it is alleged that Morrell accessed the victim’s bank and credit card accounts and obtained $143,413.79 of the victim’s funds for his own personal benefit. The victim, a vulnerable adult under South Carolina law, resided at Lexington Medical Center Extended Care in Lexington at the time of the alleged misconduct. 

This case was referred to VAMPF by Lexington Medical Center Extended Care 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. Grand Larceny, value $10,000 or more is 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, 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 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 $2,889,252 for federal fiscal year 2025. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $963,084 for FFY 2025, is funded by South Carolina.