Richland County man took over $200K from vulnerable adult, SC attorney general says
A Richland County man was arrested Tuesday for stealing more than $200,000 from a vulnerable adult, according to South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson.
Keith C. Suber, a 53-year-old Eastover resident, was charged with exploitation of a vulnerable adult and breach of trust with fraudulent intent (value $10,000 or more), the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday in a news release.
An investigation by the attorney general’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit found that Suber “knowingly made unlawful and unauthorized use of the funds and assets of a vulnerable adult,” according to the release.
Suber was entrusted with the victim’s power of attorney, the S.C. Attorney General’s Office said. From January 2018 through February 2024, Suber took $202,753.05 of the victim’s money and assets for his personal use, according to the release.
There was no word about what was done with the money or how it was spent.
Information about Suber’s relationship with the victim was not available, but the S.C. Attorney General’s Office said the victim was a resident at OPUS Post Acute Rehabilitation when the crime occurred. The facility in West Columbia is a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center, according to the S.C. Attorney General’s Office.
Officials at the facility were the ones who notified the S.C. Attorney General’s Office about the misconduct, prompting the investigation, according to the release.
Suber was booked into the Lexington County Detention Center on Tuesday, the S.C. Attorney General’s Office said. He’s not currently listed on the jail’s inmate roster, and information about his bond was not available.
If Suber is convicted on the felony exploitation of a vulnerable adult charge he faces a maximum punishment of 5 years in prison and a $5,000 fine, according to South Carolina law. The S.C. Attorney General’s Office said a conviction on the felony breach of trust (value more than $10,000) charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison as well as a fine at the court’s discretion.
About the Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit
The Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit 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.
Source: South Carolina Attorney General
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This story was originally published July 31, 2024 at 9:26 AM with the headline "Richland County man took over $200K from vulnerable adult, SC attorney general says."
