Charleston, S.C. — A South Carolina woman has been sentenced to federal prison for stealing more than $146,000 from residents at the nursing home where she worked, targeting some of the facility’s most vulnerable individuals.
Courtney Jeanine Brown, 49, of Goose Creek, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to stealing from 132 residents at Riverside Health and Rehabilitation in North Charleston. Federal prosecutors said Brown abused her position as the facility’s business office manager to access residents’ personal funds over a period of more than three years.
According to authorities, Brown wrote checks drawn from resident accounts and made them payable to cash, later depositing the money into her own bank account. Investigators said many of the victims were physically or mentally incapacitated and relied on the facility to safeguard their finances.
In total, Brown stole approximately $146,000. In addition to her prison sentence, she was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay more than $160,300.69 in restitution to the affected residents. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, and the North Charleston Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina said the sentence reflects the seriousness of exploiting elderly and vulnerable adults in long-term care settings.
While the case focused on a single facility, it highlights the risks faced by nursing home residents whose finances are managed by staff, and the significant consequences for employees who violate that trust.
