Desperate Man Allegedly Robs $1 From Bank To Get Health Care In Prison
Posted on Jun 21, 2011 @ 02:56PM
The high cost of medical treatment is sending many people to extreme measures.
A North Carolina man allegedly robbed a bank for one dollar because he was so desperate for medical treatment and hoped he would get treated in jail.
Richard James Verone calmly walked into the RBC Bank in Gastonia, North Carolina on June 9 and handed the teller a note demanding money and saying that he had a gun, according to a police report.
The mild-mannered bank robber then sat down quietly on the sofa and waited for the police to arrive.
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"The note said, 'This is a bank robbery. Please only give me one dollar,'" Verone said in an interview yesterday, according to ABC News.
"I started to walk away from the teller then I went back and said, 'I'll be sitting right over there in the chair waiting for the police.'"
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The bizarre act came about because Verone has no health insurance and couldn't afford to see a doctor about numerous worrying ailments including a growth on his chest, ruptured discs and a problem with his left foot. He hoped to get a three-year sentence and be treated in jail by doctors for free.
The 59-year-old has no job and a depleted bank account and thought that jail would be the best place for him to go for health care.
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Verone describes himself as a "logical man," and is already planning for his life after jail, when he hopes to be able to get social security and an apartment on the beach.
"I've already looked at a condominium. I've spoken to a realtor, on Myrtle Beach," he explained.
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While he is now getting the medical treatment he is so desperate for, the jail doctors have accused him of manipulating the system but Vernon has no regrets.
"If it is called manipulation, then out of necessity because I need medical care then I guess I am manipulating the courts to get medical care," he said.
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The biggest flaw in the master criminal's plan is that because he wasn't armed, police have charged him with larceny and not bank robbery and could be a free man again in just 12 months.
Verone is being held in Gaston County Jail on a $2,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court June 28.
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The Daily Juice
Apr 26, 2012 @ 09:30
if we stopped giving waring countries that hide murderers 600 billion dollars like pakistan we would have no problem giving everyone free health care
Posted Wed, 06/22/2011 - 8:32pm
Anyone who believes this guy robbed a bank to get healthcare is just stupid. Anyone can walk in to an emergency room in nearly any hospital in the country and get treated. Period. This is so patently full of it, it makes me sick.
Posted Wed, 06/22/2011 - 10:58am
actually no you can't. You have to pay
Posted Wed, 06/22/2011 - 8:30pm
There is something wrong with our system when those being punished for crimes never have to worry about food, shelter, or health while law abiding citizens are homeless, hungry and sick.
Posted Wed, 06/22/2011 - 12:58am
How sad to be so desperate for health care. What is wrong with our system?
Posted Tue, 06/21/2011 - 9:41pm
Well, for starters you have people like LoriC out their voting. People like that are ignorant and have no clue as to what's going on. Don't you know?? Health care is "socialism" according to the LoriCs of this country. We can't have that!
Posted Tue, 06/21/2011 - 10:43pm
You're an idiot. I may be Libertarian, but I happen to believe health care is a right and not a privilege, but this system is broken when losers can get it and hard working or falling on hard time citizens cannot. Get a clue.
Posted Wed, 06/22/2011 - 2:08am
If we drug tested those on welfare and food stamps and kicked off the positive ones, we'd have more money for health care for guys like this, and stop providing free ER health care to Illegals who get paid under the table
Posted Tue, 06/21/2011 - 6:48pm
God you are ignorant. Welfare is so passe for starters. Secondly, less than 0.005 percent of the budget goes to "welfare" so how do you expect to pay with that? Maybe cutting out farm subsidies & irresponsible tax cuts will cover medical care.
Posted Tue, 06/21/2011 - 10:40pm
So true, there is a lot of liberal spending that could be cut. The bankrupt state of California is a prime example of why Liberal handouts and subsidies don't work, but keep voting for them and call everyone else ignorant LOL.
Posted Wed, 06/22/2011 - 2:10am