SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – Nine people have been charged with defrauding dozens of residents in assisted living facilities in Spartanburg County, with 5 more suspects believed to be involved.

Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office investigators told 7News that 45 residents from Summit Hills, Woodland place and the Charles Lea Center were victimized out of more than $100,000 collectively.

Deputies said residents were tipped off when they started receiving bills in May of this year, for mobile phones they never purchased.

The sheriff’s office referred to the crimes as a “criminal enterprise,” involving the re-selling of smart phones.

“I’ve been here 31 years and we’ve never had anything like this before,” said Lt. Kevin Bobo of the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said Tamara Marqueeshia Shardana Taylor, 27, of Spartanburg, worked at all three facilities.

According to Lt. Bobo, Taylor confessed that she would take pictures of the resident’s intake sheets, which contained their birth dates and social security numbers, and send them to Joshua Jonathan Rashaad Glenn, 25, of Spartanburg.

Lt. Bobo added that Taylor told deputies that Glenn would pay her $20 per picture.

“It blew me away. I mean I can’t believe that somebody would actually do something like that. We work with some vulnerable people who many people would consider some of the most vulnerable people in South Carolina.”

 GERALD BERNARD, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE CHARLES LEA CENTER

Bernard added that Taylor cleared a background check before she was hired, and has since been fired.

“Unfortunately every once in a while you run into something like this and we have no tolerance for that,” Bernard said.

Deputies said Glenn would take the information to Walmart stores in Taylors and Spartanburg as well as Target in Spartanburg. He would then pay third party Verizon or AT&T representatives to “force” the identification portion of wireless phone contracts.

The representatives would use the victims’ information and Glenn would leave the store with one to five smart phones.

“He would pay them to open up a fraudulent account,” Lt. Bobo said.

Glenn would later reportedly take the phones and sell them.

Deputies said Glenn posted to Facebook, asking for assisting living facility employees to contact him. He recruited seven people through the post.

A magistrate judge approved 201 warrants for nine suspects, charging them with either financial identity fraud and/or exploitation of a vulnerable adult.

Taylor and Glenn were each charged with financial identity fraud and exploitation of a vulnerable adult for all 45 victims, deputies said.

All nine suspects were terminated from their employers, deputies said.

The sheriff’s office will continue to assist the victims in resolving the fraudulent accounts with Verizon and AT&T.

Eight of the nine suspects have been arrested. Deputies said the following suspects have been arrested:

  • Dushawn Michael Woodson, 38, of Spartanburg, worked as a Verizon and AT&T representative at Target.
  • Tiffany Marie Griffith, 31, of Spartanburg, was a Target employee.
  • Tamara Shante Carson, 29, of Inman.
  • Clifford Ulyess Brown, 24, of Wellford.
  • Malik Divine Gray, 23, of Inman, was a Verizon representative at Walmart.
  • Rajshunda Chenell Ojayeria Holmes, 20, of Spartanburg.
  • Tamara Marqueeshia Shardana Taylor, 27, of Spartanburg.
  • Davien Montrell Rodgers, Sr., 23, of Taylors, SC, worked as a Verizon representative at Walmart.

Deputies said Glenn still at large and wanted.

The sheriff’s office told 7News Thursday that they have identified five additional potential suspects. Two of the people are nursing home employees. The other three were phone representative clerks.

Anyone with information on Glenn’s whereabout should call 911, our Warrant Division at (864) 596-2189, or Crime-Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. Tipsters can remain anonymous, and if their information leads to an arrest, they will be eligible for a cash reward.

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