Attorney General Alan Wilson announces Upstate woman charged with stealing almost $21,000 from nursing home resident

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that his office’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit (VAMPF) has arrested Crystal Rochelle Walker, 46 years old, of Seneca, S.C. 

Walker faces the following charges:

• One count of Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult (§ 43-35-85(D))
• One count of Breach of Trust with Fraudulent Intent, value $10,000 or more (§ 16-13-230(A))

Walker was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center on January 2, 2026.

An investigation conducted by VAMPF revealed allegations that Crystal Walker abused her power of attorney authority over a vulnerable adult. Between January 1, 2022, and October 5, 2023, Walker is accused of misappropriating approximately $20,872.70 from the victim's funds for her own personal use, with the alleged intent to permanently deprive the victim of those resources.

During the period of the alleged misconduct, the victim—a vulnerable adult as defined under South Carolina law—resided at Seneca Health and Rehabilitation, a skilled nursing facility in Seneca, South Carolina.

The facility referred the matter to VAMPF. The case will be prosecuted by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office.

South Carolina Felony Offenses and Penalties:

• Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult – Felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years, a fine of not more than $5,000, or both.
• Breach of Trust with Fraudulent Intent (value $10,000 or more) – Felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than 10 years or a fine in 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 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.