Attorney General Wilson announces Seneca woman indicted for stealing medications from patient

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that on April 19, 2022, Brianna Michelle Hunt, 28 years old, of Seneca, was indicted by a Greenville County Grand Jury for Theft of a Controlled Substance {44-53-0365}, Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance {44-53-370(C)(D)(1)}, and Breach of Trust with Fraudulent Intent {16-13-0230(A)}.

These indictments stem from an incident that was reported to the Greenville County Sheriff’s Department on March 21, 2022, while Hunt was employed as a nurse at Poinsett Rehabilitation and Healthcare in Greenville. It is alleged that Hunt, in her capacity as a nurse, was entrusted with controlled substances and that Hunt, with fraudulent intent, stole, then illegally possessed, a quantity of Oxycodone prescribed to a resident at the facility.

This incident was investigated by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Department, S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), and the S.C. Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (SCMFCU). The Attorney General’s Office will prosecute the case.

Theft of a Controlled Substance is a felony and, upon conviction, has a penalty of not more than five years in prison or a fine of not more than $5,000. Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance is a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, has a penalty of not more than two years in prison or a fine of not more than $5,000. Breach of Trust with Fraudulent Intent (less than $2,000) is a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, has a penalty of not more than thirty days in prison or a fine of not more than $1,000.

Under federal regulations, the SCMFCU has the 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 $1,927,636 for the Federal fiscal year 2022. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $642,544 for FY 2022, is funded by South Carolina.