Queens man left dad's body in morgue to collect benefits

theGrio REPORT - Christopher Bunn, whose NYPD father Sgt. James Bunn died in 2010, left his dad's body unclaimed for over a year so that he could continue to receive pension and social security funds.

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

Christopher Bunn, whose NYPD father Sgt. James Bunn died in 2010, left his dad’s body unclaimed for over a year so that he could continue to receive pension and social security funds.

“Mr. Bunn left his deceased father’s body unclaimed in the Nassau County morgue for more than a year, so he could steal his pension and social security payments,” state Controller Thomas DiNapoli said.

Bunn’s ruse was discovered in April 2011 when DiNapoli’s officer heard that Bunn had not been to collect his father’s remains at the Nassau County Medical Examiner. Further investigation showed that he “had withdrawn the money from his father’s account.”

“The defendant has admitted to receiving his deceased father’s social security and pension payments for well over a year following his death,” Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said Monday.

Bunn arrived at his court date at Queens Criminal Court without the money, however, saying that he was waiting to get it wired from his South Korean contacts. But Judge Barry Kron didn’t let it slide.

“At this point, I need to take things with more than a single grain of salt,” he told Bunn and sent him to jail. “I’m not a fan of brinkmanship.”

Bunn’s new court date is set for Tuesday, and this time, if he doesn’t have the money, he may well face two to four years in prison.

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