South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Willie Herndon, a 68-year-old resident of Spartanburg, on charges related to the exploitation of a vulnerable adult. The arrest was made by the Attorney General’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit (VAMPF).
Herndon faces one count each of Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult, Breach of Trust with Fraudulent Intent involving $10,000 or more, and Crimes Against a Federally Chartered or Insured Financial Institution. He was booked into the Spartanburg County Detention Center on October 15, 2025.
According to the Attorney General’s office, a joint investigation with the Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General found that Herndon allegedly misused funds belonging to a vulnerable adult between March 18, 2024, and February 20, 2025. Authorities allege that Herndon, while entrusted with the victim’s assets, misappropriated over $10,000 from the victim’s bank account for personal use.
Investigators also accuse Herndon of endorsing and depositing a Veterans Affairs pension check made out to the victim into an account at Founders Federal Credit Union, which he controlled. It is alleged that he then spent the deposited VA funds for his own benefit.
The victim was classified as a vulnerable adult under South Carolina law and was living at either Magnolia Manor in Inman or Wesley Court Assisted Living in Boiling Springs during the period in question.
“This case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office,” the release stated.
The charge of Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult is a felony that carries up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $5,000, or both upon conviction. Breach of Trust involving $10,000 or more is also a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison or a fine at the court’s discretion. Crimes Against a Federally Chartered or Insured Financial Institution is a felony with penalties of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.
VAMPF has authority over Medicaid provider fraud and cases involving abuse, neglect, and exploitation of individuals in assisted living facilities or nursing homes. The unit receives most of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with 75 percent coming from federal sources and the remaining 25 percent funded by South Carolina.
Attorney General Wilson emphasized: “All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.”
