STORY YOUMISSED
Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment charging 72-year-old Eva Bratcher with stealing over $20,000 in Social Security and SNAP benefits after hiding her 96-year-old mother’s body in a Portage Park garage freezer.
Federal prosecutors have charged a 72-year-old Chicago woman who allegedly hid her mother’s body inside a deep freezer for two years to fraudulently collect government benefits.
According to an indictment unsealed in federal court, Eva Bratcher faces charges for illegally collecting over $20,000 in Social Security Administration and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds.
Federal authorities state Bratcher assumed the identity of her deceased 96-year-old mother, Regina Michalski, to collect monthly payments.
The federal indictment follows state-level charges filed against Bratcher in 2023 for concealing a death.
Police officers discovered Michalski’s body in February 2023 inside a deep freezer stored in the garage of a Portage Park two-flat apartment building.
Bratcher and her mother shared the residence located on the city’s Northwest Side.
Local authorities launched a well-being check after Bratcher’s estranged daughter, Sabrina Watson, reported suspicious activity to the Chicago Police Department.
Watson informed authorities that her mother blocked her communication attempts and repeatedly lied about Michalski’s whereabouts.
Investigating officers arrested Bratcher at the scene and recovered at least one fraudulent identification card in her possession.
Prosecutors disclosed that Bratcher lied to neighbors and tenants for years by claiming her mother resided in a nursing home.
An official autopsy failed to conclusively determine Michalski’s exact cause of death.
Court records indicate Michalski was a World War II survivor who escaped Nazi-occupied Poland before immigrating to the United States.
Bratcher previously served 213 days in county jail regarding state charges connected to the concealment.
Federal prosecutors revealed that Bratcher also utilized an alternative Social Security number to acquire additional SNAP assistance illegally.
Court documentation shows Bratcher possesses an extensive criminal history, including prior state convictions for forgery, battery, and probation violations.
Law enforcement records confirm Bratcher served as a retired U.S. Army veteran who completed 19 years of military service before retiring in 1994.
Bratcher now faces multiple federal counts related to identity theft and government benefit fraud.
