Florida Individual Apprehended for Allegedly Expressing "Postpone, Deny, Examine" Towards Their Insurance Firm
Florida Individual Apprehended for Allegedly Expressing "Postpone, Deny, Examine" Towards Their Insurance Firm
A lady residing in Lakeland, Florida has been indicted for allegedly making "threats" towards her insurance company by uttering phrases such as "Delay, Deny, Depose" and "you folks are next," as reported by WLFA and the Lakeland Police Department.
As per an affidavit supplied to Gizmodo by the Lakeland Police and later examined by us, Briana Boston, 42, had her health insurance claims denied by BlueCross BlueShield, though the specific details of her situation were not disclosed within the document. The authorities were alerted about Boston's call by the FBI along with the affidavit, which was authoritatively signed by Brian Purdy, asserting that there is sufficient basis to accuse Boston of issuing "Threats to undertake a mass shooting or an act of terrorism."
The affidavit reveals that:
Your affiant inquired if Boston ever used the phrase "Delay, Deny, Depose. You folks are next." during her call with BlueCross BlueShield, to which Boston conceded and apologized. Boston claimed that she utilized those words due to their current prevalence in the media. Boston disclosed that she had obtained this phrase through recent events concerning the UnitedHeathcare homicide. Boston stated that she did not possess any firearms and posed no threat to anyone. Boston further declared that healthcare companies manipulated games and deserved retribution from the world due to their evil nature.
The remarks that Boston supposedly made during her phone conversation with BlueCross, including "delay, deny, depose," resemble the 2010 book Delay Deny Defend by Jay M. Feinman, which discusses how the health insurance industry attempts to prevent paying for medical treatments. The phrases mirroring those found on bullet casings near the deceased body of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, who was shot in New York last week. However, news reports suggested that the words were slightly varied, incorporating "deny, defend, and depose."
The investigation of the UnitedHealth homicide has triggered a nationwide discussion regarding the cruelty of America’s healthcare system and the methods employed by insurance companies to deny coverage to enhance their profits. It has also spawned a plethora of online memes and celebrations from individuals who perceive that whoever executed the assassination may have been justified in their actions.
Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old who was apprehended in Altoona, Pennsylvania and is fighting extradition to New York, where he has been charged with killing the UnitedHealthcare CEO, was detained by police at a McDonald's and allegedly had a 3D-printed firearm along with what authorities described as a "manifesto." The note, which was leaked online, reportedly stated that insurance companies "continued to exploit our country for enormous profit" and referred to the "corruption and greed" prevailing in that sector.
Boston, who's married with three children, had her bail set at $100,000 by an unknown judge, as per WFLA, and has never been charged or convicted of any crime in her life prior to this incident.
“I find that the bond of $100,000 is appropriate given the state of our country at this point,” the judge reportedly said.
The affidavit also mentions that Boston was influenced by the phrase "Delay, Deny, Depose" from recent events in the media related to the UnitedHeathcare homicide, indicating a growing disdain towards the healthcare industry and insurance companies' tactics. In the future, the use of technology to create and spread such messages could further escalate these sentiments, potentially contributing to wider societal issues.