GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – A 56-year-old man whose mother was found buried in her Lake Asbury backyard last June has been indicted on federal charges of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and theft of government property.
Prosecutors say Brian Adams, of Jacksonville, buried his mother on or before July 4, 2014, to conceal her death and stole her pension funds and Social Security benefits until June 2015 when her body was discovered.
The Clay County Sheriff's Office working a missing persons case found Janell Adams' remains buried in the yard of her former home, on Creekfront Drive.
INDICTMENT: U.S. vs. Brian Lee Adams
After the remains were found, Brian Adams was arrested in Columbus County, North Carolina, on an outstanding warrant for violating probation out of Baker County in connection with a charge of possession of methamphetamine charge. He was not charged in connection with anything involving his mother.
“We are trying to determine if the cause of death was natural or as a result of homicide, but the suspect who was responsible for this burial is in custody in another state," Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler said at the time. “The individual that the out-of-state law enforcement agency has in custody has indicated that he's the one responsible for the illegal burial,”
The cause of Janell Adams' death was still unknown.
Her neighbor, Ricky McCall, can't forget the day her body was found.
"I came home one day and it kind of shocked me to see that amount of people at that house right across the street," McCall said. "Give her a proper burial; don't misuse the system or her stuff."
The U.S. attorney told News4Jax that Brian Adams will be released from state custody on April 26, then make his initial appearance in federal court.