 Richard James Verone (Los Angeles Times / June 25, 2011) |
GASTON, NC (KTLA) -- A reportedly unemployed, uninsured man robbed a bank for $1 in order to get thrown in jail and receive medical attention.
Richard James Verone, a 59-year-old man who reportedly suffers from a growth on his chest, two ruptured disks, and a foot injury, walked into RBC bank unarmed earlier in June and handed the teller a note that read "This is a bank robbery. Please only give me one dollar." After handing over his note, the man said quietly on a couch while the teller called 911.
Verone, a man with no criminal history according to reports, figured that once he was thrown in jail he would receive the medical attention that he was unable to afford on his own.
According to the Washington Post, North Carolina prisoners pay a $5-$7 co-payment for doctor visits as detailed in the inmates handbook -- however, according to the handbook, no inmate will be denied medical attention even if he or she cannot afford the co-payment.
Verone, who was hoping to serve some three years in a state prison -- reportedly a typical sentence for bank robbery in North Carolina -- was charged with "larceny from a person," which carries a shorter prison term.
Richard James Verone, a 59-year-old man who reportedly suffers from a growth on his chest, two ruptured disks, and a foot injury, walked into RBC bank unarmed earlier in June and handed the teller a note that read "This is a bank robbery. Please only give me one dollar." After handing over his note, the man said quietly on a couch while the teller called 911.
According to the Washington Post, North Carolina prisoners pay a $5-$7 co-payment for doctor visits as detailed in the inmates handbook -- however, according to the handbook, no inmate will be denied medical attention even if he or she cannot afford the co-payment.
Verone, who was hoping to serve some three years in a state prison -- reportedly a typical sentence for bank robbery in North Carolina -- was charged with "larceny from a person," which carries a shorter prison term.
