A 44-year-old man in Missouri is facing multiple felonies for allegedly imprisoning his uncle, a quadriplegic U.S. Army veteran, in his garage to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in benefits intended for the victim. The man is accused of continuing the scheme for years after his uncle’s death, stashing the body in a trash can.
According to court documents reviewed by Law&Crime, Brian K. Ditch is currently charged with four counts of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of theft of government property, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm.
“For over a decade, Defendant Brian K. Ditch regularly abused and imprisoned his uncle — a quadriplegic Army veteran — in order to steal his government disability benefits,” according to an indictment filed by federal authorities in Missouri’s Eastern District. “After years of exploitation, neglect, and internment at the hands of the defendant, [the victim] died while he was in the exclusive custody of the defendant.”
But his uncle’s death in 2019 didn’t deter Ditch, according to prosecutors, who claim he hid the man’s body in a backyard shed for more than a decade.
“To further his fraud scheme, Defendant Ditch concealed [the victim’s] death for at least five years, including wrapping Veteran T.C.’s dead body in a trash bag and stuffing him into a garbage can.
Through his lies and concealment, the defendant stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in Veteran T.C.’s disability benefits, which he used to enrich himself personally rather than care for his quadriplegic uncle.
According to the indictment, Ditch began serving as his uncle’s primary caregiver in 2008 and “frequently imprisoned and abused” the disabled veteran in order to collect the victim’s Veterans Affairs and Social Security disability benefits.
“Rather than using [his uncle’s] disability benefits to properly care for him, the defendant frequently trapped him in a garage for more than 24 hours at a time, forcing him to sit in his own urine and feces without being able to eat or drink.” “By keeping Veteran T.C. locked up, abused, and under his control,” the indictment states.
Ditch allegedly concealed the theft by sending himself $1,000 from his uncle’s bank account on a regular basis to “make it appear as though the Defendant was receiving a regular paycheck for his [caregiving] duties.” However, Ditch is accused of failing to provide basic care for his uncle, who prosecutors claim never approved a single payment to his nephew.
Following the victim’s death in 2019, Ditch allegedly informed family members that his uncle had been moved to a nursing home and told law enforcement that the veteran had left his home several years before with a different caretaker.
According to authorities, Ditch hid his uncle’s body in a trash can placed in a shed behind the victim’s home.
“Police officers found [the victim’s] partially frozen dead body wrapped in a black trash bag and stuffed inside a garbage can in the defendant’s shed during the execution of a search warrant on or about March 21, 2025,” according to officials.
According to records, between 2008 and 2025, Ditch’s uncle deposited $1,878,501.39 into his various accounts. According to authorities, Ditch stole “at least $650,000” from his uncle following his death.
