Attorney General Alan Wilson announces two Upstate Medicaid providers charged with fraud

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that his office’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit (VAMPF) has arrested Tami Ferguson Stewart, 65 years old, of Simpsonville, S.C., and Sydney R. Weiss, 27 years old, of Pickens, S.C., for alleged Medicaid provider fraud. 

Charges:

Both defendants face:

• One count each of Forgery, value $10,000 or more {§ 16-13-0010(A)}
• One count each of Criminal Conspiracy (§ 16-17-0410}
• One count each of Medical Assistance Provider Fraud {§ 43-07-0060}

A VAMPF investigation revealed that, between September 27, 2023, and February 25, 2024, Tami Stewart and Sydney Weiss conspired to defraud the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS), the agency that administers South Carolina’s Medicaid program.

Investigators allege the following:

• Stewart, the owner of Above and Beyond Care Services, LLC, knowingly submitted fraudulent employee timesheets to SCDHHS for payment. These timesheets falsely claimed that personal care and respite services had been provided to a Medicaid beneficiary when, in fact, the services were not provided. The total amount of the fraudulent claims exceeded $10,000.
• Weiss, an employee of Above and Beyond Care Services, LLC, knowingly and willfully signed and submitted false timesheets representing that she had personally provided personal care and respite services to the same Medicaid beneficiary when she had not rendered those services. As a result, Weiss caused fraudulent claims totaling more than $10,000 to be submitted to Medicaid.

This case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.

South Carolina Felony Offenses and Penalties:

• Forgery, value $10,000 or more – Felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than 10 years and/or a fine at the discretion of the court.
• Criminal Conspiracy – Felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of not more than $5,000.
• Medical Assistance Provider Fraud – Class A misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for not more than 3 years, and a fine of not more than $1,000.  

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.