United States of America v. Brian K. Ditch

St. Louis criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Concealing Death of Disabled Veteran

Man Accused of Concealing Death of Disabled Veteran for Years to Reap Financial Benefits

A convicted felon from Salem, Missouri was indicted on and accused of concealing the death of his uncle, a U.S. Army veteran with quadraplegia, for at least five years so that he could steal at least $650,000 of his disability benefits.



Brian K. Ditch, 44, is 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.



The indictment alleged 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.



His uncle received $9,559 per month in Disability Compensation benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the indictment says. The VA would not have continued to pay had they known Ditch's uncle was dead, the indictment says. 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. As a convicted felon, Ditch is barred from possessing firearms.



Ditch is \expected to plead not guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Friday.



"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 Salem Police Department, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.