Aiken woman charged with exploiting assisted living facility resident

By Matthew Christian

An Aiken woman faces up to 10 years in prison on charges she exploited a resident of an assisted living facility. 

The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson’s office and Aiken County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Katey Hartley Perkins, 51, of Aiken on July 13 and charged her with one count of exploiting a vulnerable adult and one count of forgery with a value less than $10,000.

Exploiting a vulnerable adult is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. Forgery with a value less than $10,000 is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine in the discretion of the court. 

Investigators with the Medicaid Fraud Unit and the sheriff’s office said Perkins used the funds and assets of a vulnerable adult at an assisted living facility unlawfully and without permission. They also allege Perkins opened a bank account at TD Bank in the vulnerable adult’s name, deposited a life insurance check of $4,548.57 made out to the vulnerable adult and used that money for her own benefit.

This case will be prosecuted by Wilson’s office. 

Aiken County Magistrate Lauren Maurice set Perkins’s bond at $3,000 surety Thursday. 

Perkins remains in the Aiken County detention center as of 11 a.m. Monday. 

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Aiken woman charged with exploiting assisted living facility resident