Dying To Get Into Jail, Old Man Knocks Off Bank for $1.00
James Verone had $16 in his pocket when he left home one morning a few weeks ago.
He cleaned up and put on his nicest shirt, then called a taxi.
Along the way, he stopped to mail a letter to the newspaper, then went on to the local bank, where he apologetically and politely robbed them of one dollar.
Then he sat down and waited for the cops.
At the age of 59, James Verone had found himself unemployed after layoffs eliminated his job as a delivery driver. He also lost his health insurance.
James looked for work, but no one wants to hire guys his age, and eventually, his unemployment benefits ran out.
He found a part-time job as a clerk in a small convenience store, but found it impossible to get by on $145 a week take-home pay.
For awhile, he lived off his savings and the remnants of his 401k Plan. Then he started to have health problems.
Arthritis, foot troubles, and back problems finally resulted in Verone applying for Social Security Disability, but he was denied.
Then, on top of his other illnesses, he discovered a painful lump growing on his chest.
He tried to get medical treatment, but the emergency rooms only referred him to doctors who insisted on being paid, money Verone simply didn’t have.
Believing that he had cancer, suffering from intense pain, and unable to find any medical help, James Verone carefully weighed his options. He first considered committing suicide, but decided that would create a burden on the few family members he had left – folks not much better off than himself. Then he had another idea: commit a crime and get set up with a place to stay, food and doctors.
So it was that James Verone decided to become a criminal. He had never before been in any trouble with the law.
Now he hoped to be booked as a felon and held in prison where he could be treated for his physical afflictions.
Verone didn’t want to scare anyone. He executed the robbery the most passive way he knew how. He handed the teller a polite note demanding one dollar. He calmly told her he would sit in the visitors area and wait for the police. When they arrived, he went along with them quietly and peacefully.
Verone says he’s not a political man. But he has a lot to say on the subject of medical care. “If you don’t have your health you don’t have anything,” said Verone.
James had high hopes for his incarceration.
The ideal scenario would include back and foot surgery and a diagnosis and treatment of the protrusion on his chest.
Verone expected to be charged with bank robbery. He would serve a few years in prison and get out in time to collect Social Security and move to the beach.
But it wasn’t to be. Because he only demanded $1, he was charged with larceny from a person. The count doesn’t carry as much jail time as bank robbery.
The bearded, gray-haired man plans to represent himself in court. He wants to prepare a statement for the judge and then take whatever active sentence he is given.
Verone is considering an ultimatum if the penalty isn’t great enough, he said.
The crime will happen again.
Since Verone’s arrest, his $100,000 bond has been reduced to $2,000. He doesn’t intend to pay it. His residence is now the county jail.
He has no regrets about the robbery or where it landed him. “I did what I had to in order to stay alive” he said.
