Man accused of keeping 4 'vulnerable adults' captive in his basement, stealing their money

A South Carolina man accused of holding four "vulnerable adults" captive in his basement for 10 years and stealing their money faces a slew of charges, including false imprisonment.

Donnie Ray Birchfield Jr., 35, was arrested Aug. 1 after Lancaster police responded to a home for a report of an unattended death, according to a police incident report.

The death occurred on July 24, but was not reported until the following day, according to warrants. The documents do not list the victim's name or age, but describe her as a "vulnerable adult." She was allegedly held in Birchfield's basement with her husband and two female victims, the warrants state.

An attorney for Birchfield said his office is investigating the matter and his client "maintains his innocence."

"It is important to remember that he is presumed innocent of these allegations," attorney Ryan Payne said in a statement. "We look forward to litigating this case in the court system where facts, evidence, and the rule of law matter. We will have no further comment at this time."

Birchfield was charged with four counts of exploitation of a vulnerable adult, four counts of false imprisonment, two counts of abuse of a vulnerable adult, two counts of domestic violence and financial charges, online jail records show. He’s being held on $150,000 bond.

Police said that during the investigation, detectives learned that Birchfield allegedly kept several people in his basement and used "their funds for his own financial gain." He withheld at least two bank cards from the adults, along with the account number of one victim, the incident report alleges.

Authorities allege that he used the money to shop at Walmart and pay his credit card bills.

Warrants allege that Birchfield abused the adults, denied them food and medical treatment and cut them off from the outside world. He is alleged to have controlled when they could eat and use the bathroom and he had control of their cellphones, according to the warrants.

Two of the adults had been involved in a romantic relationship with Birchfield, the warrants state. One of the relationships went on from November 2015 to July 25, 2025, it states. The other was September 2024 to July 2025.

The other adults were husband and wife. The warrants do not say how Birchfield knew them, only that he was the sole caregiver for the wife. According to the warrants, evidence showed that the wife was physically abused "and had no access to receive help," before her death.