KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An Overland Park couple has been charged for allegedly collecting a man's retirement pension while keeping his body in their home for six years after he died.
Lynn and Kirk Ritter are charged by the United States Attorney's Office with one count of wire fraud and two counts of theft of government funds.
On Oct. 23, 2022, Kirk Ritter reportedly informed the Overland Park Police Department that Lynn's father was found dead in the Overland Park residence the couple shared with him since at least July 2016.
Officers responded to the scene at W. 99th Terrace near Quivira Road and found the man on a bed "in a mummified state," according to court documents. Investigators later determined the man died of natural causes around July 1, 2016.
Investigators discovered that after the man's death, 76 direct deposits totaling over $68,000 and SSA benefits totaling over $147,000 were made into his bank account.
Additionally, checks were allegedly written to Lynn and Kirk Ritter from his bank account, and funds were transferred into the couple's own bank accounts after the man's death, per court documents.
The man was the only "signatory authority" on his bank account.
The wire fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, while the theft of government funds charges are punishable by up to 10 years.
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