OCT 27, 2022

Attorney General Alan Wilson announces Upstate woman charged with practicing medicine without a license

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announces that his office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (SCMFCU) has arrested Alyssa Beth Steele, 37, of Anderson, S.C., for allegedly practicing medicine as a registered nurse without a license at seven nursing and assisted living facilities in Anderson, Greenville, and Pickens counties. 

Charges against Steele in these three jurisdictions include: seven counts of Neglect of a Vulnerable Adult {43-35-0085(C)}; five counts of Unlicensed Practice as a Registered Nurse {40-33-0030}; one count of Financial Identity Fraud to Obtain Employment {16-13-0510(C)}; and one count of Obtaining Signature or Property Under False Pretenses, value $10,000 or more {16-13-0240}. Steele was arrested by SCMFCU investigators in Anderson County on October 24, 2022, Greenville County on October 25, 2022, and Pickens County on October 26, 2022.

An investigation by the SCMFCU revealed that between January 15, 2020, and January 19, 2022, Steele allegedly used a State of Georgia Board of Nursing license number belonging to someone else to gain employment as a registered nurse in the seven facilities. At no time during this period did Steele have the certifications, qualifications, or training required of a registered nurse. By holding herself out as having credentials she did not possess, Steele’s conduct resulted in a failure to provide adequate medical care and services to vulnerable adults and presented a substantial risk of causing physical or mental injuries to the residents under her care. 

According the SCMFCU, Steele worked as a registered nurse at the following Upstate nursing and assisted living facilities:

  • Cascades Verdae Assisted Living Facility in Greenville
  • Iva Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Iva
  • Piedmont Post Acute in Piedmont
  • Brookdale Assisted Living Facility in Anderson
  • Condor Health in Anderson
  • Easley Place Assisted Living Facility in Easley
  • Fleetwood Rehabilitation and Healthcare Assisted Living in Easley 

All facilities mentioned cooperated fully with Investigators.

Additional assistance with this case was provided by the Iva Police Department, Easley Police Department, Anderson Police Department, and the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Department.  All charges related to this case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.

Neglect of a Vulnerable Adult is a felony and, upon conviction, has a penalty of not more than five years imprisonment. Unlicensed Practice as a Registered Nurse is a Class C Misdemeanor and, upon conviction, has a penalty of imprisonment of not more than one year or a fine of not more than $50,000 dollars. Financial Identity Fraud is a felony and, upon conviction, has a penalty of a fine in the discretion of the court or imprisonment of not more than ten years, or both. Obtaining Signature or Property Under False Pretenses, value $10,000 or more is a felony and, upon conviction, has a fine of not more than $500 and imprisonment or not more than ten years. 

Pursuant to federal regulations, the SCMFCU has authority to investigate and prosecute 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 $2,318,568 for federal fiscal year 2023. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $772,852 for FFY 2023, is funded by South Carolina.

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