Attorney General Alan Wilson announces two people charged with stealing $18,000 from vulnerable adult
(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that his office’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit (VAMPF) has arrested Jacob G. Melobo, 37 years old, and Samantha A. Onorati, 40 years old, both of Tabor City, N.C.
Melobo and Onorati face the following charges:
- Obtaining Property by False Pretenses more than $10,000 {§ 16-13-0240}
- Criminal Conspiracy {§ 16-17-0410}
- Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult {§ 43-35-0085(D)}
- Financial Identity Fraud {§ 16-13-0510(B)}
Melobo and Onorati were booked into the Charleston County Detention Center on October 16, 2026.
A joint investigation by VAMPF and the Charleston Police Department alleges that between December 4, 2025, and January 12, 2026, Melobo and Onorati conspired together to commit the offense of exploitation of a vulnerable adult. Investigators assert that both defendants knowingly and willfully made unlawful, unauthorized, or improper use of a vulnerable adult’s funds or assets in the approximate amount of $18,000. It is further alleged that the defendants, by false pretenses or representations and with the intent to cheat and defraud the victim, gained access to and obtained funds from the victim’s bank account without authorization or permission.
At the time of the alleged misconduct, the victim qualified as a vulnerable adult under South Carolina law.
South Carolina Offenses and Penalties:
- Obtaining Property by False Pretenses more than $10,000 – Felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than 10 years.
- Criminal Conspiracy – Felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years, a fine at the discretion of the court, or both.
- 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.
- Financial Identity Fraud – Felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than 10 years, a fine at the discretion of the court, 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 $3,221,544.42 for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2027. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $1,073,848.14 for FY 2027, is funded by South Carolina.
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