Attorney General Alan Wilson announces Upstate woman charged with stealing thousands of dollars 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 Carolyn Coyle, 70 years old, of Walhalla, SC, for one count of Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult {43-35-0085 (D)} and one count of Breach of Trust with Fraudulent Intent, value more than $2,000 but less than $10,000 {16-13-0230(A)}. Coyle was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center on November 1, 2024.

An investigation by VAMPF and the Oconee County Sheriff’s Department revealed that, between October 5, 2023 and February 5, 2024, Coyle is alleged to have knowingly made unlawful and unauthorized use of the funds and assets of a vulnerable adult. Specifically, it is alleged that Coyle appropriated funds or assets of the victim valued between $2,000 and $10,000 with fraudulent intent. The victim, a vulnerable adult under South Carolina law, resided at Seneca Health and Rehabilitation Center at the time of the alleged misconduct. 

These allegations were referred to law enforcement by the South Carolina Department of Social Services. 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 more than $2,000 but less than $10,000, is a felony and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to five years in prison or a fine at 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 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.