A Kansas couple has been charged with fraudulently gathering greater than $215,000 in retirement advantages on behalf of a useless relative whereas they hid his physique inside their dwelling for six years.
Authorities say Mike Carroll’s pacemaker confirmed that he died in 2016 at age 81, however Overland Park police didn’t uncover his physique till 2022 after his son-in-law, Kirk Ritter, known as police to report his loss of life within the Kansas Metropolis suburb.
Prosecutors say Lynn Ritter and Kirk Ritter, each 61, continued depositing and spending from Carroll’s checking account even whereas his physique turned “mummified” on a mattress within the dwelling he owned. Lynn Ritter is Carroll’s daughter.
Members of the family instructed the Kansas Metropolis Star that the Ritters would repeatedly give them excuses about why Carroll may by no means take a cellphone name or go to whereas main them to consider that Carroll was nonetheless alive.
The couple is because of seem in federal court docket to face a number of prices on Feb. 2. They didn’t reply to cellphone and electronic mail messages from the newspaper, and court docket paperwork don’t listing a protection lawyer representing them.
Prosecutors mentioned the pension and Social Safety funds Carroll acquired over the six years after his loss of life totaled $216,067. However financial institution information from that point confirmed checks being written from his checking account and cashed by Lynn and Kirk Ritter.
