Attorney General Alan Wilson announces Spartanburg man charged with stealing more than $10,000 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 Willie Herndon, 68 years old, of Spartanburg, S.C.  Herndon was charged with one count of Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult {43-35-0085 (D)}, one count of Breach of Trust with Fraudulent Intent, value $10,000 or more {16-13-0230(A)}, and one count of Crimes Against a Federally Chartered or Insured Financial Institution {34-03-0110(A)}. Herndon was booked into the Spartanburg County Detention Center on October 15, 2025.

A joint investigation by VAMPF and the Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General revealed that, between March 18, 2024, and February 20, 2025, Willie Herndon allegedly made unlawful, unauthorized, or improper use of the funds and assets of a vulnerable adult. Herndon, with fraudulent intent, and while entrusted with the funds and assets of the victim, allegedly misappropriated over $10,000 from the victim’s bank account for his own personal use with the purpose of depriving the victim of the funds.

Herndon is further accused of, under false representation, endorsing and depositing a Veterans Affairs (VA) pension check made payable to the victim into the victim’s Founders Federal Credit Union account, which Herndon had control over. It is alleged that Herndon then spent the victim’s deposited VA funds for his own personal use.

The victim, classified as a vulnerable adult under South Carolina law, was a resident of either Magnolia Manor in Inman or Wesley Court Assisted Living in Boiling Springs during the period of the alleged misconduct.

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. Breach of Trust, 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. Crimes Against a Federally Chartered or Insured Financial institution is a felony and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, 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 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.