A Missouri man was indicted on May 7 and accused of concealing the death of his uncle, a paralyzed Army veteran, for at least five years so that he could steal at least $650,000 of his disability benefits.
Brian K. Ditch, 44, of Salem, is now facing four felony counts of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of theft of government property and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to a Department of Justice release.
“The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General is committed to holding accountable anyone who exploits veterans or steals their VA benefits," said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Billingsley with the VA OIG’s Central Field Office. “VA’s programs and services are established to justly compensate deserving veterans and the VA OIG will bring to justice those who would defraud these programs.”
The indictment alleges that Ditch was solely responsible for his uncle’s care beginning in 2008, and kept his uncle locked in his garage and under his control so he could fraudulently obtain his government benefits.
Instead of properly caring for his uncle, Ditch trapped him in the garage for over 24 hours at a time, forcing his uncle “to sit in his own urine and feces without the ability to eat or drink,” the indictment says.
After his uncle’s death around 2019, Ditch concealed his death and the body so that he could continue to receive the money, the indictment says. It says Ditch told relatives that he had moved his uncle into a nursing home.
According to the indictment, Ditch’s uncle received $9,559 per month in VA disability compensation benefits from VA, which VA would not have continued to pay had they known Ditch’s uncle was dead.
Ditch’s uncle also received a total of $235,210 in Social Security Disability Insurance benefits and retirement Insurance benefits from the Social Security Administration since 2008.
Ditch used the money to buy exotic reptiles, fund lavish vacations and enrich himself, the indictment says.
Salem police officers found the uncle’s partially frozen body in a trash can in March, as well as three shotguns, the indictment says. Ditch is a convicted felon and is barred from possessing firearms.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.