Salem Man Indicted for Concealing Uncle's Death

Salem, Mo. (KFMO) - A convicted felon from Salem, 44-yearold Brain K. Ditch, has been indicted and accused of concealing the death of his uncle, a U.S. Army veteran with quadriplegia, for at least five years so that he could steal at least $650,000 of his disability benefits.

Ditch 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 alleges Ditch was solely responsible for his uncle’s care and kept him locked in a garage 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 without the ability to eat or drink or go to the restroom.

After his uncle’s death around 2019, Ditch concealed the death and the body so he could continue to receive the money according to the indictment. It's alleged Ditch told relatives he had moved his uncle into a nursing home.