ORANGEBURG, S.C. (WIS) - An Orangeburg woman will spend time in prison after pleading guilty to operating an unlicensed facility for vulnerable adults.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday that 53-year-old Estelle Amelia Hutchinson pleaded guilty to neglect of a vulnerable adult, criminal conspiracy and operating a community residential care home with a license.
The attorney general’s office said a 2024 investigation found Hutchinson was owning and operating an unlicensed care facility for vulnerable adults.
Between January and February of 2024, prosecutors said Hutchinson ordered residents to stay in locked rooms without access to basic needs, including food, clothing, medication, shelter and medical services.
Firefighters from the Orangeburg Department of Publi