Heartbreaking reason why man robbed bank for $1 so he could be sent to prison
While most people spend their lives actively avoiding jail, this man wanted to be behind bars.
In 2011, James Verone staged a robbery at a bank that was just a bus ride away from his Gastonia home, North Carolina.
When in the bank, he handed the teller a note that ordered them to give him no more than $1 as he confirmed that it was a bank robbery that was taking place.
Verone was given the dollar and then sat to wait for law enforcement to arrive.
Advert
But why would he get himself in so much trouble for the sake of making a buck? Access to healthcare.
Verone was a retired delivery driver and suffered with a series of ailments which prevented him from working and found himself unable to get the healthcare he needed.
Fearing he had cancer and knowing he'd been looked after if he was in prison, Verone decided to land himself in jail just so he could get free medical attention.
While he'd hoped to be put away from three years so that he'd leave jail at the age of 62 - the age you must be to get social security benefits - Verone only served 12 months.
Before the small-scale robbery, Verone posted a letter to the local newspaper informing reporters of his intentions.
"When you receive this a bank robbery will have been committed by me. This robbery is being committed by me for one dollar," he wrote, as per ABC News.
"I am of sound mind but not so much sound body," Verone added.
He ended up striking a deal with prosecutors in 2012 and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor larceny and was released on time served.
While Verone understandably didn't enjoy his time in jail, the retired delivery driver did receive his goal of getting the healthcare he needed.
In fact, Verone was reportedly seen to by several nurses before even being sentenced.
With this in mind, he says the whole debacle was 'worth it'.
Speaking to WBTV following his release from jail, Verone said: "Yes, it was worth it, I had no other direction to go."
He did say that he was 'afraid for [his] life' while serving his sentence, however.
Sadly, it's not uncommon for people to go to such extreme measures for free healthcare or a roof over their head.
Donald Santacroce, 65, took a leaf out of Verone's book last year and also robbed a bank for $1 with the intention of going to jail.
His motives for his actions were unclear, but Santacroce insisted that he 'wanted to get arrested and go to federal prison', NBC News reported.
Niamh Shackleton