Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
An unemployed man desperate for health care has been charged with carrying out a bizarre bank robbery where he demanded the cashier hand over – just ONE DOLLAR.
Richard James Verone, 59, who was suffering from arthritis and a growth on his chest, couldn’t afford health care but knew prison would supply it.
So, unarmed, he allegedly walked into a bank in North Carolina, USA, and politely asked the cashier to hand over no more than a dollar (60p).
Verone then told the cashier he’d ”be sat over there”, and took a seat on a chair while he waited for police to turn up.
He had earlier written a letter to his local newspaper, The Gaston Gazette, saying: ”When you receive this a bank robbery will have been committed by me.
”This robbery is being committed by me for one dollar, I am of sound mind but not so much sound body.”
Verone told the newspaper he had worked for Coca-Cola for 17 years but left three years ago and had a number of roles before worsening health forced him to quit.
He was forced to live off his savings and, after applying for early Social Security and was given food stamps, but could not afford health care and decided committing a crime was the best route.
Verone later told journalists he was a ”logical” man who carried out the crime ”out of necessity” because of his medical needs.
The unlikely criminal, who has never been in trouble with law before, is now being held at Gaston County Jail where he is receiving medical treatment.
He will appear in court next week and can expect to face up to one year in prison if found
Adrian Hearn
Your collective inability to acknowledge this obvious truth makes you all look like fools.
We have a number of repeat customers who get jammed up purposefully in late fall in order to have a roof & three squares/day during the long harsh winter. I have no doubt such is common in cold climates.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan
We do have clinics where these people can get help. They hand out medications, do tests and all that for those under a certain income. If he qualified for food stamps I have no doubt he would qualify for that.
We do have clinics where these people can get help. They hand out medications, do tests and all that for those under a certain income. If he qualified for food stamps I have no doubt he would qualify for that.
But what if you are so ill or desperate that you cannot wait on a charitable hand out, surely it would be easier to get banged up somewhere and get it all on a plate?
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Sure, get attention and justice for your wrong-doing. Let your incarceration and interviews lead to the prevention of further attacks, and save more than your life, cool.
We have a number of repeat customers who get jammed up purposefully in late fall in order to have a roof & three squares/day during the long harsh winter
I met a few "chronic relapsers" when I was in rehab who play the system. Go to 7-20 day rehab center for "abusing substances", go to sober house for 30+ days, relapse back into rehab then sober house then repeat.
The majority of the homeless persons here are veterans. Many of them used to go the local Veterans hospital in the late fall to spend the winter. Due to their lifestyle they had sufficent health issues to qualify for admission. A sad fact about our society.
I expect to go straight to hell...........at least I won't have to spend time making new friends.
I have no doubt such is common in cold climates.
