Attorney General Alan Wilson announces Upstate man charged with stealing thousands of dollars and a car 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) and the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) have arrested Lewis Hyder, 77 years old, of Landrum, S.C., for Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult {43-35-0085 (D)}, Breach of Trust with Fraudulent Intent, value $10,000 or more {16-13-0230(A)}, Insurance Fraud – Making False Statement or Misrepresentation or Assisting, Abetting, Soliciting, or Conspiring, $10,000 or more but less than $50,000 {35-55-0540(A)(3), Forgery, value $10,000 or more {16-13-0010(A)}, and Forgery, value less than $10,000 {16-13-0010(A)}. Hyder was booked into the Greenville County Detention Center on March 27, 2025.

A joint investigation by VAMPF and SLED revealed that, between March 1, 2023 and June 7, 2023, Hyder, while in Greenville County, is alleged to have knowingly made unlawful and unauthorized use of the funds and assets of a vulnerable adult. Investigators alleged that Hyder, while entrusted as the victim’s power of attorney, did, with fraudulent intent, convert the victim’s funds and assets to his own personal use. It is further alleged that Hyder presented a forged change of beneficiary form to name himself as the primary beneficiary on a $10,000 life insurance policy belonging to the victim. Additionally, it is alleged that Hyder forged the victim’s signature on a certificate of title transfer for the victim’s 2001 Chevrolet Camaro, alleging a sale from the victim to himself. The victim, a vulnerable adult under South Carolina law, resided at The Citadel at Myers Park in Charlotte, N.C., at the time of the alleged misconduct. 

This case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office and the South Carolina Department of Insurance. 

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. Insurance Fraud – Making False Statement or Misrepresentation or Assisting, Abetting, Soliciting, or Conspiring, $10,000 or more but less than $50,000, is a felony for a first offense violation and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of at least $10,000, or both. Forgery, value $10,000 or more, is a felony and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a fine at the discretion of the court, or both. Forgery, value $10,000 or less, 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, 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.