Man Robs Bank to get Medical Care

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**rubiksnoob**

Interesting story. . .

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110621/ts_yblog_thelookout/man-robs-bank-to-get-medical-care-in-jail

Some people who need medical care but can't afford it go to the emergency room. Others just hope they'll get better. James Richard Verone robbed a bank.
Earlier this month, Verone (pictured), a 59-year-old convenience store clerk, walked into a Gastonia, N.C., bank and handed the cashier a note demanding $1 and medical attention. Then he waited calmly for police to show up.
He's now in jail and has an appointment with a doctor this week.
Verone's problems started when he lost the job he'd held for 17 years as a Coca Cola deliveryman, amid the economic downturn. He found new work driving a truck, but it didn't last. Eventually, he took a part-time position at the convenience store.
But Verone's body wasn't up to it. The bending and lifting made his back ache. He had problems with his left foot, making him limp. He also suffered from carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis.
Then he noticed a protrusion on his chest. "The pain was beyond the tolerance that I could accept," Verone told the Gaston Gazette. "I kind of hit a brick wall with everything."
Verone knew he needed help--and he didn't want to be a burden on his sister and brothers. He applied for food stamps, but they weren't enough either.
So he hatched a plan. On June 9, he woke up, showered, ironed his shirt. He mailed a letter to the Gazette, listing the return address as the Gaston County Jail.
"When you receive this a bank robbery will have been committed by me," Verone wrote in the letter. "This robbery is being committed by me for one dollar. I am of sound mind but not so much sound body."
Then Verone hailed a cab to take him to the RBC Bank. Inside, he handed the teller his $1 robbery demand.
"I didn't have any fears," said Verone. "I told the teller that I would sit over here and wait for police."
The teller was so frightened that she had to be taken to the hospital to be checked out. Verone, meanwhile, was taken to jail, just as he'd planned it.
Because he only asked for $1, Verone was charged with larceny, not bank robbery. But he said that if his punishment isn't severe enough, he plans to tell the judge that he'll do it again. His $100,000 bond has been reduced to $2,000, but he says he doesn't plan to pay it.
In jail, Verone said he skips dinner to avoid too much contact with the other inmates. He's already seen some nurses and is scheduled to see a doctor on Friday. He said he's hoping to receive back and foot surgery, and get the protrusion on his chest treated. Then he plans to spend a few years in jail, before getting out in time to collect Social Security and move to the beach.
Verone also presented the view that if the United States had a health-care system which offered people more government support, he wouldn't have had to make the choice he did.
"If you don't have your health you don't have anything," Verone said.
The Affordable Care Act, President Obama's health-care overhaul passed by Congress last year, was designed to make it easier for Americans in situations like Verone's to get health insurance. But most of its provisions don't go into effect until 2014.
As it is, Verone said he thinks he chose the best of a bunch of bad options. "I picked jail."

**Avatar 720**

So he didn't want to burden his family with medical bills, so instead he chose to burden the taxpayer, who are paying for both his medical treatment and his jail cell...

Am I close?

**Ahtman**

Avatar 720 wrote:So he didn't want to burden his family with medical bills, so instead he chose to burden the taxpayer, who are paying for both his medical treatment and his jail cell...

Am I close?

If your choices were to die painfully because you can't afford health care or go to jail for a few years and get treatment, would you really give a damn about that? Of course you have NHS so all your medical issues are paid for by taxpayers already.

**Cane**

Damn, 17 years working for Coca Cola and he didn't have the benefits to get his health issues covered? Yikes.

Health care is a joke in the USA and I can't imagine what it'd be like if I didn't come from a military family where all that is taken care of by Uncle Sam and taxpayers.

This sounds like a George Carlin joke and the guy even looks like him as well.

**biccat**

I wonder why he didn't just go to the ER or approach a charity.

Walk into a Catholic hospital and they'll take care of you even if you can't pay.

**mattyrm**

I hate how the system works in the UK, spongers and dole scum and fat work shy mother fethers are bursting from the seams... NHS treats everyone.. immigrants, criminals, foreign nationals.. free council houses for stinky people who never contribute and dont work from cradle to grave, and then I say "we should be more like America! I would pay for my healthcare and rent, feth em!"

But then, I read a story like this, and I think.

Ok maybe its not so bad..

A happy medium though surely? Less piss taking than the the UK, slightly more assistance than the US.

Sounds about right to me.

**purplefood**

mattyrm wrote:I hate how the system works in the UK, spongers and dole scum and fat work shy mother fethers are bursting from the seams... NHS treats everyone.. immigrants, criminals, foreign nationals.. free council houses for stinky people who never contribute and dont work from cradle to grave, and then I say "we should be more like America! I would pay for my healthcare and rent, feth em!"

But then, I read a story like this, and I think.

Ok maybe its not so bad..

A happy medium though surely? Less piss taking than the the UK, slightly more assistance than the US.

Sounds about right to me.

Why shouldn't immigrints be covered?
I disagree with some of the things people get for free in this country but health care is certainly not one of them.
Though the NHS could be made to work much better with relatively little effort...

**Frazzled**

biccat wrote:I wonder why he didn't just go to the ER or approach a charity.

Walk into a Catholic hospital and they'll take care of you even if you can't pay.

Or Medicaid

**Da Boss**

Yeah Mattyrm, I'm an immigrant but I'm all with the taxpaying, surely I should get some benefit from it?

**biccat**

Because he only asked for $1, Verone was charged with larceny, not bank robbery. But he said that if his punishment isn't severe enough, he plans to tell the judge that he'll do it again.

Interestingly (and having fully read the article

), he might not actually have committed a crime.

First, the crime should be attempted larceny, since he didn't actually get anything (at least, according to the article).

Second, assuming that he did get something, larceny requires the specific intent to permenantly deprive someone of their property. If he intended to get arrested, then it's pretty likely that he didn't actually intend to complete the crime.

**Avatar 720**

Ahtman wrote:
Avatar 720 wrote:So he didn't want to burden his family with medical bills, so instead he chose to burden the taxpayer, who are paying for both his medical treatment and his jail cell...

Am I close?

If your choices were to die painfully because you can't afford health care or go to jail for a few years and get treatment, would you really give a damn about that? Of course you have NHS so all your medical issues are paid for by taxpayers already.

Except those weren't his only choices, "Verone knew he needed help--and he didn't want to be a burden on his sister and brothers."

Instead of being a burden to his family, he became a burden to society in general (and will no doubt be indirectly burdening his family anyway, because they're paying for the upkeep of the jail).

**Frazzled**

Avatar 720 wrote:
Ahtman wrote:
Avatar 720 wrote:So he didn't want to burden his family with medical bills, so instead he chose to burden the taxpayer, who are paying for both his medical treatment and his jail cell...

Am I close?

If your choices were to die painfully because you can't afford health care or go to jail for a few years and get treatment, would you really give a damn about that? Of course you have NHS so all your medical issues are paid for by taxpayers already.

Except those weren't his only choices, "Verone knew he needed help--and he didn't want to be a burden on his sister and brothers."

Instead of being a burden to his family, he became a burden to society in general (and will no doubt be indirectly burdening his family anyway, because they're paying for the upkeep of the jail).

Again, or go on Medicade, or go to the emergency room.

Its either a stunt or he's not the sharpest tool in the shed.

**Kilkrazy**

Avatar 720 wrote:
Ahtman wrote:
Avatar 720 wrote:So he didn't want to burden his family with medical bills, so instead he chose to burden the taxpayer, who are paying for both his medical treatment and his jail cell...

Am I close?

If your choices were to die painfully because you can't afford health care or go to jail for a few years and get treatment, would you really give a damn about that? Of course you have NHS so all your medical issues are paid for by taxpayers already.

Except those weren't his only choices, "Verone knew he needed help--and he didn't want to be a burden on his sister and brothers."

Instead of being a burden to his family, he became a burden to society in general (and will no doubt be indirectly burdening his family anyway, because they're paying for the upkeep of the jail).

Are you channelling Margaret Thatcher?

**daedalus-templarius**

Very sad.

**KingCracker**

I say you do what you think you have to do. Kuddos to him for figuring it out

**Ahtman**

Avatar 720 wrote:Instead of being a burden to his family

I'd be willing to bet his sister couldn't afford his health care either.

**nectarprime**

The sad fact is that you can make $30k a year in this country and still can't afford health insurance. This guy took a stand about it.

**Avatar 720**

Ahtman wrote:
Avatar 720 wrote:Instead of being a burden to his family

I'd be willing to bet his sister couldn't afford his health care either.

It's not just his sister, it's his sister and 2+ brothers.

**fire4effekt**

Why so worried about our taxpayers 18 year old british citizen?

**Avatar 720**

fire4effekt wrote:Why so worried about our taxpayers 18 year old british citizen?

Way to miss the point.

My age and nationality has nothing to do with the fact that his justification for his action was flawed.

**Cannerus_The_Unbearable**

It's the government's fault for choosing to treat him then bill us, not his fault for needing medical attention. Way to BLAME THE VICTIM!!!!! BLAME THE VICTIM!!!!! BLAME THE VICTIM!!!!! BLAME THE VICTIM!!!!!

**Ma55ter_fett**

biccat wrote:
Because he only asked for $1, Verone was charged with larceny, not bank robbery. But he said that if his punishment isn't severe enough, he plans to tell the judge that he'll do it again.

Interestingly (and having fully read the article ), he might not actually have committed a crime.

First, the crime should be attempted larceny, since he didn't actually get anything (at least, according to the article).

Second, assuming that he did get something, larceny requires the specific intent to permenantly deprive someone of their property. If he intended to get arrested, then it's pretty likely that he didn't actually intend to complete the crime.

If they let him go for the reason's you've mentioned then I would suggest (to him) to bring a gun with him next time, stick it in some faces, then toss it away and wait for the cops to show up.

Of course he runs the risk of ending up in another news article headed "49 year old man in poor health holds up bank, gets shot!"

**J.Black**

He could have just Emmigrated to the UK..... I'm sure Matty could put him up for a couple of weeks?

**sebster**

Avatar 720 wrote:Except those weren't his only choices, "Verone knew he needed help--and he didn't want to be a burden on his sister and brothers."

Instead of being a burden to his family, he became a burden to society in general (and will no doubt be indirectly burdening his family anyway, because they're paying for the upkeep of the jail).

Which only makes sense if burden was a singular event, with only degree of severity. Instead, if we consider that a financial burden can be absolutely crippling if shared among a few people, but fairly minor if shared across 300 million, we begin to understand how insurance and mutual schemes operate.

**aclive**

Not to mention there are like 2 free clinics within walking distance of his house. Also, he has been in contact with a real estate agent so he can BUY A HOUSE ON THE BEACH AND RETIRE, once he gets out of jail. He is an ass. Enough said.

**youbedead**

The teller was so frightened that she had to be taken to the hospital to be checked out.

wait what.

**Ahtman**

Avatar 720 wrote:
Ahtman wrote:
Avatar 720 wrote:Instead of being a burden to his family

I'd be willing to bet his sister couldn't afford his health care either.

It's not just his sister, it's his sister and 2+ brothers.

What if they hate him? Even if they don't, if the problem is severe (not just a cold) the three of them still probably couldn't afford it. Most people can't afford to put up their house to pay for someone else's 100k+ procedure.