Man with brain damage had life savings stolen by niece caring for him, WI cops say

A Wisconsin woman tasked with caring for her 77-year-old uncle, who has brain damage, stole his life savings and left him living in squalor, according to a criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County.

Denise Bates, a 60-year-old resident of Milwaukee, is charged with theft and neglect, according to court documents.

While acting as his caretaker under power of attorney, she is accused of draining his bank accounts and liquidating assets to spend on herself, with purchases ranging from dental care and utility bills, to lingerie and extensive credit card payments.

McClatchy News reached out to Bates’ attorney for comment but has not heard back.

Her uncle, identified only as “DG” in the complaint, was a City of Milwaukee employee forced to retire after a 2010 robbery in which he sustained injuries to the head that caused brain damage.

“DG functions developmentally at the level of a 16 year old,” the documents said. “(And he is) more prone to accidents.”

In 2018, DG suffered further injuries, and after months in rehab was released back into the care of Bates. As a result of his injuries, DG would not be able to feed himself anymore, but Bates and Johnson agreed to take on the responsibility of feeding him, five times a day, using a feeding tube.

In March 2019, just days after being released from the rehab facility, an Adult Protective Services Worker dropped by DG’s home to check on him, the complaint says. She was alarmed by what she saw.

“She found him alone wearing only underwear and a shirt. His legs appeared thin and his speech was ‘terrible.’ The house was filthy with feces on the floor,” the documents read.

She called Bates’ ex-boyfriend, Gene Johnson, to see where he was, why he wasn’t caring for DG.

Then the APS worker returned to the home five days later and found him alone again, thinner and dirtier than the last time.

“He smelled badly and could not remember when he last took a shower,” according to the documents, and his bed was “black with dirt.”

The worker could find no feeding tube or proper feeding supplies anywhere in the residence. Just a container of Ensure.

“DG stated he was fed once a day and that he’d be fed later that day,” documents said.

Malnourished and dehydrated, he was taken to a hospital, weighing in at 129 pounds. He had dropped 3 pounds in just 10 days under the care of Johnson and Bates, documents state.

Investigators soon started looking into DG’s financials and saw his savings had thinned too.

From 2013 to 2019, investigators believe Bates spent over $304,000 of DG’s money, without his approval or knowledge, according to the complaint.

She took $128,000 through ATM withdrawals, had him sign $83,000 in checks for her benefit and $13,000 went to Johnson, documents said.

DG’s retirement account held about $130,000 in 2012, investigators found. By 2018, all that remained was $163.20.

During DG’s decades working for the city, he spent a piece of every paycheck on savings bonds, racking up 366 of them. Bates cashed them all in and spent the proceeds, according to court documents.

Officials interviewed Bates in May 2021, confronting her about the expenditures. She initially denied spending any of DG’s money, but investigators pointed out some of the many charges that made no sense for someone in DG’s situation.

“Bates charged $8,257.35 to her Victoria’s Secret card. She charged $10,287.00 to her Home Shopping Network (HSN) card. Any items bought at Victoria’s Secret would not have been for DG’s benefit,” the documents said.

DG’s brother, identified as HG, has since taken custody and resides in Kentucky, according to the complaint.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 21, court records show.