Man admits burying his mother in her backyard, prosecutors say

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A Florida man faces up to 12 years in federal prison for burying his mother in her backyard so he could continue collecting her retirement payments.

Prosecutors say Brian Adams admitted he failed to notify anyone that his mother, Janell Adams, had died of natural causes in July 2014.

Her remains were found in June 2015, reports CBS Jacksonville affiliate WJAX-TV.

U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III says in a news release that the 56-year-old Adams, of Green Cove Springs, pleaded guilty Monday to theft of government property and aggravated identity theft.

Adams told investigators he used his mother’s name on Social Security and pension payment checks and transferred $35,345 between her accounts, which he used himself.

No sentencing date has been set.

When Janell Adams’s remains were located, a neighbor, Sandy Griffin, told WJAX, “You’re kidding me. Wow, that is crazy,” said Sandy Griffin, a neighbor. “You know, we just moved in this neighborhood like four months ago, so it’s kind of scary.”