Attorney General Alan Wilson announces nurse charged with stealing drugs from patients
(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that his office’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud Unit (VAMPF), in coordination with the South Carolina Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Drug Control, has arrested Joanne Claus, 70, of Bishopville, S.C.
Claus faces the following charges:
- Five (5) counts of Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult {§ 43-35-85(D)}
- Five (5) counts of Obtaining Controlled Substance by Fraud {§ 44-53-0390}
Claus was booked into the Kershaw County Detention Center on September 23, 2026.
A joint investigation by VAMPF and the Bureau of Drug Control alleges that Claus, while employed as a Licensed Practical Nurse at Karesh Long Term Care and Rehab in Camden, S.C., used misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, or subterfuge to obtain Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen, a Schedule II controlled substance, from five residents of the facility. The victims, all residents of the facility, were legally classified as vulnerable adults under South Carolina law. The alleged incidents occurred between April 11, 2026, and July 1, 2026.
South Carolina Offenses and Penalties:
- Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult – Felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years, a fine of not more than $5,000, or both.
- Obtaining Controlled Substance by Fraud – Felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.
This case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.
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 that 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 $2,964,287 for federal fiscal year 2026. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $988,096 for FFY 2026, is funded by South Carolina.
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