Lack of health care drove man to commit $1 robbery

If you had to choose between going through life with a number ailments and no health insurance or spending some time in jail, which one would you pick? For one North Carolina man, the answer’s a no-brainer.

James Verone is 59, unemployed and uninsured. He also claims to have a growth on his chest, a problem with his left foot and two ruptured disks in his back.

So he did what anyone in his situation might do: plotted out a crime that would get him a three-year jail sentence with all the medical benefits that go along with it.

But he did it in a very unassuming and non-threatening way. Verone walked into a North Carolina bank unarmed and presented the teller with a note that simply said: “This is a bank robbery. Please only give me one dollar.”

But rather then fleeing from the crime scene after receiving his Washington, Verone advised the teller he’d be in the lobby waiting for the police.

While Mr. Verone did end up in jail, this story may not play out exactly as he planned it. Reason: Verone didn’t have a weapon and he was only charged with larceny, which will likely result in a much lighter jail sentence.

For the time being, Verone is getting the medical care he “robbed” the bank for — and he says he’s happy with it, too.

Readers, what  do you think of Verone’s story? Let us know in the Comments section.