South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Brett John Lerner, a 32-year-old resident of Longs, South Carolina. Lerner, who worked as a case manager at the SC Autism Society, faces charges of forgery and medical assistance provider fraud. He was taken into custody at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center on October 2, 2025.
According to an investigation by the Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit (VAMPF), Lerner is accused of submitting false payment claims to the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services between March 25 and June 27, 2024. The investigation alleges that Lerner falsified case notes and quarterly review plans, claiming to have provided services to Medicaid beneficiaries that were not actually rendered.
The Attorney General’s Office will prosecute the case.
VAMPF operates under federal regulations with authority over Medicaid provider fraud, as well as abuse and neglect involving Medicaid beneficiaries in various settings, including assisted living facilities and nursing homes.
Attorney General Wilson emphasized due process for those charged: “All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.”
Funding for the South Carolina Medicaid Fraud Control Unit comes primarily from a federal grant provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For federal fiscal year 2026, this grant totals $2,964,287, covering 75 percent of VAMPF’s funding needs. The remaining 25 percent—$988,096—is supplied by South Carolina.
