ANDERSON, S.C. — A Midlands woman is accused of stealing money from a resident an an Upstate nursing home for veterans, according to South Carolina Attorney General's Office.
Sylvia Whitlock, 66, of Whitmire, SC, is charged with three counts of breach of trust with fraudulent intent, according to officials. Whitlock was booked into the Union County Detention Center on Thursday.
According to the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (SCMFCU) in the State Attorney General's Office, an investigation found that between September 1, 2022, and November 30, 2022, Whitlock converted the victim’s funds to her own use on three separate occasions.
The victim, a vulnerable adult under South Carolina law, was a resident of Richard M. Campbell Veterans Nursing Home in Anderson, S.C.
Officials say Whitlock allegedly cashed, and used for her personal benefit, checks mailed to Whitlock’s residence in Union County that were made payable to the victim.
This case was referred to the SCMFCU for investigation by the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs. It will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.
The charges are misdemeanors and, upon conviction, each has a penalty of a fine of up to $1,000 or up to 30 days in prison.
The SCMFCU 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, according to Wilson.
The SCMFCU receives 75% 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.
