The man is charged after claiming hidden to have hidden Army know Uncle death and steals his benefits

A Missouri -man is accused of locked his uncle – an American army veteran with Quadripegia – in a garage and hidden his death for five years to steal his benefits for disability and use the money on exotic reptiles and “lavish holidays.”

Brian Ditch, 44, is accused of stolen at least $ 650,000 after he began to “fraudulent” get his uncle’s government benefits when he became responsible for his care in 2008, according to one press release From the US law office, the eastern district in Missouri.

Dagch was prosecuted on Wednesday, May 7 and charged with four incorrect bills of wire fraud, four bills of aggravated identity theft, two counts of theft of state property and a bill to be a criminal in possession of a firearm.

While his uncle was under his care, Ditch held him “locked in his garage and under his control”, often 24 hours at a time. His uncle was forced to “sit in his own urine and feces without the ability to eat or drink,” said the US law firm and quoted the prosecution. During that time, Dittch received $ 9,559 a month from the US department for veteran issues in benefits for disability.

Since 2008, Ditch’s uncle also earned $ 235,210 in social security benefits benefits and pension insurance benefits from the social insurance administration.

After his uncle died in 2019, Ditch was alleged “to relatives that he had moved his uncle to a nursing home” when he hid his body, in an attempt to continue stealing money. In March, the authorities finally revealed Uncle’s body frozen in a trash can with three shotguns – which the ditch was excluded from having a convicted criminal, according to the indictment.

Ditch has previously been convicted of several other crimes, including burglary and domestic battery, according to NBC Affiliate KDSK. His uncle, identified as Thomas Club, had dementia and could not control his intestines or use hands and feet, the outlet reported.

Ditch’s cousin Angie Crowder told KDSK that Club was about 19 years old when he was paralyzed in a car accident in Germany while serving in the US Army. Eventually, after Ditch, the family informed that Club was at a nursing home, became close and dear worried and came in contact – before heard from a detective per kdsk.

On March 21, Club’s body was wrapped in a trash, partly frozen and filled inside a rubbish can in a shed, according to the outlet.

According to the publication, Ditch used his uncle’s benefit payments to buy exotic reptiles, “Fund lavish holidays” and “Enrich yourself.”

“The Department of Veteran’s Affairs Office of Inspector General has undertaken to hold responsible everyone who exploits veterans or steals their VA benefits,” said special agent in fee Gregory Billingsley with VA OIG’s central field office in a statement. “VA’s programs and services are established to rightly compensate deserving veterans and VA OIG will do justice those who would deceive these programs.”

Ditch, who appeared in the US District Court in St. Louis on Friday, May 9, did not invoke himself guilty, a spokesman for the US law office told People on Saturday, May 10.

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The case was investigated by the Salem Police Department, Department of Veteran’s Affairs Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – with assistant US lawyer Derek Wiseman.

Wiseman told KDSK that the case is “a kind of blow.”

“This is a disgusting, reprehensible crime, a crime committed against a family member, a veteran. Anyone without using his arms and legs. It is a disturbing and flaky lack of consideration for human life,” he said.

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