[Reno Paul]

By KATIE MOISSE
June 20, 2011



A 59-year-old man has been jailed in Gastonia, N.C., on charges of larceny after allegedly robbing an RBC Bank for $1 so he could get health care in prison. Richard James Verone handed a female teller a note demanding the money and claiming that he had a gun, according to the police report.
He then sat down and waited for police to arrive. "… I say, 'I'll be sitting right over here, on the chair, waiting for the police,'" Verone told reporters, recalling the June 9 robbery in an interview from Gaston County Jail.

Gaston County Jail
Richard James Verone, 57,




And wait for the police, he did.
"He's sitting on the sofa as you walk in the front door," the bank teller said in a 911 call.
Police arrested Verone where he sat. He was unarmed.
Verone said he asked for $1 to show that his motives were medical, not monetary, according to news reports. With a growth in his chest, two ruptured disks and no job, Verone hoped a three-year stint in prison would afford him the health care he needed.
"I'm sort of a logical person and that was my logic, what I came up with," Verone told reporters. "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."
But the charge of larceny, not armed robbery, is unlikely to keep Verone behind bars for more than 12 months. He is being held in Gaston County Jail on a $2,000 bond, according to a spokesman for the jail, and is scheduled to appear in court June 28.

[the_situation]

just sad

[King Mayan]

Poor guy....

America will self destruct with greed.....

[topgame85]

The guy is do desperate he commits, by statute, an ARMED ROBBERY, in most states punishable by up to life in prison although average sentence is 1-10 years and to avoid medical costs the state only charges him with larceny? Once again proves the joke that our legal and health care system are.

[flyingillini]

Poor guy....

America will self destruct with greed.....

You know the deal!

[EmpireMaker]

Very sad that this would seem like the best option to any American

[vitalyo]

Very sad story . Poor guy .

[ACoochy]

When shit like this happens you know something aint right...

[Cap dat 4ss]

Pretty sad but I doubt the guy exhausted his options. Sounds like he was just being lazy and took the easy way out. Every major hospital in America offers financial assistance sometimes up to 100% discount. There are tons of free clinics in every city, especially the larger ones. Guy would easily qualify for medicaid. Theres 3 options that impovershed people everywhere have. It's sad that he's chosen this route, not that this was his best option. He said he wants to get surgery collect SSI and move to the beach What a freeloader

[HauntingTheHoly]

Pretty sad but I doubt the guy exhausted his options. Sounds like he was just being lazy and took the easy way out. Every major hospital in America offers financial assistance sometimes up to 100% discount. There are tons of free clinics in every city, especially the larger ones. Guy would easily qualify for medicaid. Theres 3 options that impovershed people everywhere have. It's sad that he's chosen this route, not that this was his best option. He said he wants to get surgery collect SSI and move to the beach What a freeloader

So I guess you're perfectly healthy and/or have great insurance. You don't have a clue WTF you're talking about. Every hospital in America gives free healthcare? What they do is, they ask for your insurance info and if you don't have it, you sign a form saying you'll be responsible for all costs. If you don't pay it, they send the bill to collection like any company would. Have you ever been in a hospital? The fact that there are indeed exceptions where a hospital will offer to eat the cost of a procedure for a patient is irrelevent, those are exceptions, not the norm. And "tons of free clinics" littered all over the country? What are you on? You may find one in a trailer-like building here and there, but the care you will receive there falls well short of what any dog can receive at the vet. Furthermore, they are only equipped to deal with limited health problems, if you're problem is X, Y, or Z they cannot help you - provided "they" even exist where you live. And as for Medicaid, lemme just say: LMFAO. You can't even use it at most joints, they don't accept it. Certain hospitals do, but you still owe big afterwards. And Medicaid simply doesn't cover anything that costs over like....five bucks - which is everything.

Sorry to rant but anyway, GLAD YOU'RE HEALTHY!

[ACoochy]

So I guess you're perfectly healthy and/or have great insurance. You don't have a clue WTF you're talking about. Every hospital in America gives free healthcare? What they do is, they ask for your insurance info and if you don't have it, you sign a form saying you'll be responsible for all costs. If you don't pay it, they send the bill to collection like any company would. Have you ever been in a hospital? The fact that there are indeed exceptions where a hospital will offer to eat the cost of a procedure for a patient is irrelevent, those are exceptions, not the norm. And "tons of free clinics" littered all over the country? What are you on? You may find one in a trailer-like building here and there, but the care you will receive there falls well short of what any dog can receive at the vet. Furthermore, they are only equipped to deal with limited health problems, if you're problem is X, Y, or Z they cannot help you - provided "they" even exist where you live. And as for Medicaid, lemme just say: LMFAO. You can't even use it at most joints, they don't accept it. Certain hospitals do, but you still owe big afterwards. And Medicaid simply doesn't cover anything that costs over like....five bucks - which is everything. Sorry to rant but anyway, GLAD YOU'RE HEALTHY!

Cappa not touting but if u want to look at a productive healthcare model then search medicare in australia. Envy of the world. Basic privileges democratic governments should give in exchange for taxes are free healthcare and education. We work hard to help fill the governments coffers so u should be rewarded in return. If you aint getting at a minimum that then ur being short changed.

[doublej95]

Dont feel sorry for this clown he had other options that was left out of the article to make it seem like he had no choice. here is part of the article from the Charlotte Observer.



The only thing he qualified for, Verone said, was food stamps. A feeling of desperation, not wanting to be a burden on his relatives along with extreme pain made him consider going to a homeless shelter or asking charities for help.

Assistance would've been available at two safety net organizations. Gaston Family Health Services is a federally qualified health center with seven locations in Gaston. HealthNet Gaston is a collaboration between Gaston Family Services and CaroMont Health that coordinates volunteer care from specialists.



Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/201...#ixzz1PzqaoYJz

[jjgold]

funny story

I bet he does not do much time

[Cap dat 4ss]

So I guess you're perfectly healthy and/or have great insurance. You don't have a clue WTF you're talking about. Every hospital in America gives free healthcare? What they do is, they ask for your insurance info and if you don't have it, you sign a form saying you'll be responsible for all costs. If you don't pay it, they send the bill to collection like any company would. Have you ever been in a hospital? The fact that there are indeed exceptions where a hospital will offer to eat the cost of a procedure for a patient is irrelevent, those are exceptions, not the norm. And "tons of free clinics" littered all over the country? What are you on? You may find one in a trailer-like building here and there, but the care you will receive there falls well short of what any dog can receive at the vet. Furthermore, they are only equipped to deal with limited health problems, if you're problem is X, Y, or Z they cannot help you - provided "they" even exist where you live. And as for Medicaid, lemme just say: LMFAO. You can't even use it at most joints, they don't accept it. Certain hospitals do, but you still owe big afterwards. And Medicaid simply doesn't cover anything that costs over like....five bucks - which is everything. Sorry to rant but anyway, GLAD YOU'RE HEALTHY!

You're pretty far off almost entirely. Let me just focus on North Carolina, since this is where he is.
http://www.dukehealth.org/patients_a...t_duke_will_do
They offer 100% discount to a family of 1 making less than $21,000,which is the category it sounds like he falls into.
http://www.forsythmedicalcenter.org/...the_uninsured/
Forsyth Memorial Hospital (900+ beds)
"Forsyth Medical Center provides free care to uninsured patients with incomes of up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level, with 100 percent write-off".

Those are two of the largest hospitals in the N.C. area so don't tell me it is the exception. It is anything but the exception. Almost every other hospital in N.C. will have similar programs, maybe not 100% discount but something affordable for the uninsured under federal poverty level.

Now for the free healthcare clinics. Again you obviously have no experience in one. The care people get at these clinics is actually pretty good. And a lot of times it's from some of the better docs around town. They volunteer quite a bit of time at these clinics. Here are some free health clinics in N.C.
http://www.ncfreeclinics.org/free_clinic.aspx
N.C. has 79 free healthcare clinics and there are 1200 in the US. Yes, they are everywhere now. As for the guys medical conditions who knows if he has X, Y or Z. Only way to find out is to go to a doctor and he had other options that robbing a bank. Also ALL of the large pharmaceutical companies offer financial assistance programs.
http://www.pfizerhelpfulanswers.com/...d/FindAll.aspx
http://www.gskforyou.com/

Ya, Medicaid sucks. But shiit, it's better than nothing. My whole point is that there are TONS of programs available for the uninsured and it's not hard at all to get free healthcare, even procedures from a specialist.

And yes to good health.

[Statman]

What a sad story to read about....