Barnwell woman accused of exploiting assisted-living resident
AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - A Barnwell woman was released after being arrested on suspicion of exploiting a vulnerable adult in Aiken, authorities said Monday.
Suspect Phyllis J. Daniels, 36, was released after being booked into the Aiken County Detention Center on Monday, according to the office of South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson.
The announcement came less than a week after Wilson said he’d be stepping up efforts against these types of crimes.
Wilson’s staff and the FBI allege Daniels used a vulnerable adult’s debit card without permission between Dec. 20, 2021, and Jan. 15, 2022.
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The victim lived at Shadow Oaks Assisted Living Community in Aiken.
The case will be prosecuted by Wilson’s office.
Daniels is charged with one count of exploitation of a vulnerable adult and financial transaction card fraud, value more than $500 in a six-month period.
Exploitation of a vulnerable adult is a felony with a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine up to $5,000, or both. The other count is a felony with a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of not less than $3,000 or more than $5,000, or both.
South Carolina’s vulnerable adult population is suffering from abuse, neglect, and exploitation, often in plain sight, he said.
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“This office historically has investigated and prosecuted crimes against vulnerable adults, but a lot of people have no idea we even do that. So today, we are doubling our efforts by increasing awareness through outreach,” Wilson said.
The Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Fraud Unit has increased outreach efforts to local law enforcement over the last two years and has seen an increase of 30% in the reports coming from law enforcement, Wilson said.
The identified cases throughout the state range from nurses stealing prescription medicine and replacing it with over-the-counter medications to facility s locking residents in their rooms with no food, water, prescriptions, or air conditioning, according to Wilson’s office.
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