It wasn't about the money. It wasn't about the thrill. It was about getting arrested—on purpose.
James Verone, a 59-year-old retired Coca-Cola delivery driver from Gastonia, North Carolina, walked into a bank in 2011, handed the teller a note asking for $1, and calmly took a seat in the lobby to wait for the police. Why? Because he couldn't afford to see a doctor.
Before the "heist," Verone reportedly mailed a letter to the local paper, the Gaston Gazette, explaining his plan. He had no job, no insurance, and no relief from worsening health issues—slipped discs, arthritis, and a mysterious growth on his chest.
"I am of sound mind but not so much sound body," he wrote. The goal wasn't freedom—it was access.
Don't Miss:
- The same firms that backed Uber, Venmo and eBay are investing in this pre-IPO company disrupting a $1.8T market — and you can too at just $2.90/share.
- Accredited Investors: Grab Pre-IPO Shares of the AI Company Powering Hasbro, Sephora & MGM—Secure $0.63 Shares Before 8/14
Verone hoped to be sentenced to three years, just enough to age into Social Security and hopefully walk out with his health intact. But prosecutors didn't quite buy into his plan. Instead of bank robbery, he was charged with misdemeanor larceny, served 12 months, and got the medical attention he needed—from behind bars.
In a follow-up interview with WBTV-TV a year after the incident, Verone explained that he feared he might have pancreatic cancer. He had tried to get help the usual way. "The six places that I went to get taken care of, I could not get anyone to take care of me," he said. So, with nowhere else to turn, he made what he saw as a last resort. "Yes, it was worth it. I had no other direction to go."
At the time of his act, the uninsured rate for Americans under 65 hovered around 17.5%, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Today, despite expanded coverage under the Affordable Care Act and a record-high insured rate of 92% in 2023, affordability remains a different beast entirely.
Trending: ‘Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. You can invest today for just $0.30/share.
According to Kaiser Family Foundation's May 2025 Health Tracking Poll, 44% of adults say it's difficult to afford healthcare—even with insurance. Nearly one in four report skipping or postponing care due to cost. Among uninsured adults under 65, that number jumps to a staggering 75%. And it's not just doctor visits—33% of Americans admit to cutting pills in half, skipping doses, or choosing over-the-counter substitutes to avoid prescription costs.
Health insurance doesn't always save you either. Nearly 40% of insured adults under 65 worry about affording their monthly premium, and large shares of those with employer-sponsored plans rate their coverage as "fair" or "poor" when it comes to cost.
Healthcare debt is another persistent crisis. In a 2022 report from KFF, 41% of U.S. adults said they currently hold some form of medical or dental debt. About half of all adults say they wouldn't be able to afford a $500 unexpected medical bill without going into debt—or wouldn't be able to pay it at all.
See Also: Bezos' Favorite Real Estate Platform Launches A Way To Ride The Ongoing Private Credit Boom
So here's the irony: Verone went to jail 14 years ago to get care most Americans still struggle to access today— .
And while the U.S. leads the world in healthcare spending, it ranks last among high-income countries in terms of quality, access, and health outcomes, according to a Commonwealth Fund report last year. That's not a fluke. It's a system problem. We still live in a country where getting sick can bankrupt you—and where one man figured his best option was a $1 crime with a prescription pad on the other side of a prison wall.
Verone's story may be old. But the desperation behind it? Still painfully current.
Read Next: $100k+ in investable assets? Match with a fiduciary advisor for free to learn how you can maximize your retirement and save on taxes – no cost, no obligation.
Image: Imagn Images
