Two North Carolina Residents Charged With Stealing About $18,000 From a Vulnerable Adult in South Carolina
In Charleston County, South Carolina, the state Attorney General's office announced arrests in a financial exploitation case involving a vulnerable adult. Attorney General Alan Wilson said on October 19 that his office's Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit (VAMPF) arrested two North Carolina residents accused of taking about $18,000 from a vulnerable adult.
The two are Jacob G. Melobo, 37, and Samantha A. Onorati, 40, both of Tabor City, North Carolina. They face felony charges including obtaining property by false pretenses of more than $10,000, criminal conspiracy, exploitation of a vulnerable adult and financial identity fraud. Both 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, the two conspired to gain access to the victim's bank account by false pretenses and obtained about $18,000. The victim qualified as a vulnerable adult under South Carolina law at the time.
The Attorney General's Office will prosecute the case. The charges are allegations, and neither defendant has been convicted.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：查尔斯顿市景（资料图，非事件现场）。照片：Animum摄，Wikimedia Commons（CC BY-SA 3.0）。Charleston, South Carolina (file photo). Photo: Animum, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
