Verone didn’t want to scare anyone. He executed the robbery the most passive way he knew how. He handed the teller a note demanding one dollar, and medical attention. “I didn’t have any fears,” said Verone. “I told the teller that I would sit over here and wait for police.” The teller, however, did have some fears even though Verone never showed a weapon. Her blood pressure shot up and once Verone was handcuffed by police, the teller was taken to Gaston Memorial Hospital to be checked out. Verone said he was sorry for causing the woman any pain.

Verone says he’s not a political man. But he has a lot to say on the subject of socialized medical care. He suspects he wouldn’t be talking to a reporter through a metal screen wearing an orange jumpsuit if such an option were available in the U.S. “If you don’t have your health you don’t have anything,” said Verone. The man has high hopes with his recent incarceration. He has seen several nurses and has an appointment with a doctor Friday. The ideal scenario would include back and foot surgery and a diagnosis and treatment of the protrusion on his chest, he said. He would serve a few years in prison and get out in time to collect Social Security and move to the beach.

Verone said he hears the other men talk about the revolving door that jail has become for them. He hopes he doesn’t join the ranks of the repeat offender. But today, he has no regrets about the robbery or where it landed him. “If I had not exercised all the alternatives I would be sitting here saying, ‘Man I feel bad about it,’” he said. But Verone said he thinks he made the right choice for his situation. “I picked jail.”

On June 9th, 59 year-old James Richard Verone made a decision that would hopefully change his life for the better: he decided to rob a bank for the grand total of $1. Now, how in the world could robbing a bank result in a reward that could better someone's life? Free healthcare, that's how. Yes, in a county right next to my very own, a man sits in prison, thankful for the opportunity to be provided free healthcare after being unable to get assistance via alternate avenues -- including filing for disability, applying for early Social Security, homeless shelters, and seeking medical help through charitable organizations -- for the serious health issues he had been developing. To quote the Gaston Gazette As for where he stands on the issue of socialized medical care, Verone had the following to offer:While so much attention is being given to those who are hacking into computer systems these days, folks like Verone are busy "hacking" into other types of systems, themselves! Naturally, while his plan is quite clever and innocent in nature, this will not sit well with a number of tax-payers -- not just for the fact that the man had to do this in the first place, but that he could do it to get what he knew he would receive. This type of thing isn't new, though; maybe this scenario, but crime happens regularly by individuals who just want to have a roof over their head and food to eat. Might as well add healthcare to the list of reasons to rob a bank, right? To close: