An unarmed man walked into a bank, handed the teller a note to inform her a robbery was taking place, then calmly waited for the police to arrive and arrest him. Richard James Verone was 59-years-old when he visited an RBC Bank in North Carolina, US, and decided the answer to a string of ongoing issues would be to rob a bank - but not for bags of cash. He demanded just one dollar (75p).
Background and motive
It was June 9, 2011, and Verone left his home in Gastonia, NC, and headed to the bank to commit the crime. Before carrying out the robbery, he’d preemptively sent a letter to local outlet the Gaston Gazette, which read: “When you receive this a bank robbery will have been committed by me for one dollar. I am of sound mind but not so much sound body.”
He’d grown increasingly desperate after losing his job of 17 years as a Coca-Cola delivery man and struggling to find permanent employment. In the UK, being without a job doesn’t mean we can’t get healthcare but this isn’t always the case in the US. Reports suggest more than 27 million Americans go without any health insurance, leaving them having to pay full medical bills out of pocket.
Health issues and plan
At the time of the 2011 incident, Verone’s job loss spelled the end of his health insurance. He was dealing with a number of health issues and pain from slipped discs and arthritic joints. He’d also been walking with a limp due to an issue with his left foot, and had spotted a growth on his chest. Unable to afford treatment, Verone wanted to be arrested and charged in order to gain access to healthcare from prison.
According to ABC News, he “hoped his $1 bank robbery would earn him a three-year jail sentence, during which he could undergo surgery on his back and his foot and have a painful lump on his chest diagnosed and treated.”
Verone's statements
During an interview with WCNC, Verone revealed his thought process. He explained: “First time I’ve ever been in trouble with the law so it's not, you know… I’m sort of a logical person and that was my logic. That’s what I came up with.” He added: “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.”
According to Verone and documents obtained by independent fact-checking website Snopes, the 2011 incident was his first offense. He didn’t want to overly alarm the bank teller, so had told her: “I’ll be sitting right over here, on the chair, waiting for the police.”
Arrest and aftermath
In a 911 call, bank teller Kathy Zimmerman said: “He’s sitting on the sofa as you walk in the front door.” The unarmed Verone sat and waited calmly for police to arrest him, which they subsequently did. Per local TV news outlet WCNC, the teller reportedly told the dispatcher: “He can hear everything I’m saying, so I’m in a back room. Please hurry.”
Gaston Gazette reported after the robbery, the teller was checked out in hospital for a spike in blood pressure. Verone regretted causing her any pain. As he only demanded $1, he was charged with larceny from a person, not bank robbery. After his arrest, he told the Gaston Gazette: “The pain was beyond the tolerance that I could accept. I kind of hit a brick wall with everything.” To WBTV, he said: “It was worth it, I had no other direction to go, I was afraid for my life.”
