A woman has been charged with threatening a health insurance company by repeating the words carved into a shell casing found at the scene of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Brianna Boston, 42, was speaking on a recorded line with a Blue Cross Blue Shield representative about a denied medical claim when she heard messages such as, “Delay it, deny it, step down, you're next.” He has been indicted on suspicion of saying that.
Boston, a Florida native, was charged with making a mass shooting and making terroristic threats. A judge set her bail at $100,000 (£78,900).
After Tuesday's call with a U.S. medical company, local media reported that detectives from Lakeland, Florida, went to Boston's home and arrested her.
Lakeland police and Boston's attorney, Jim Headley, did not respond to requests for comment.
Boston reportedly told police, “Medical companies are playing games because they are evil, and they deserve karma from the world.''
She said she used language related to Thompson's killer “because it's in the news right now.”
Police said the shell casings found at the scene in Manhattan were engraved with the words “refusal,” “defense,” and “resign.”
These words reflect the title of my 2010 book, “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don't Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.”
Luigi Mangione, 26, is charged with Thompson's murder. He was arrested in Pennsylvania on Monday on firearms charges, ending a multi-day, multi-state investigation in which there appeared to be few leads.
The case sparked support for Mr. Mangione and anger at America's for-profit health insurance industry, as some customers faced high costs and had their claims denied.
Law enforcement officials are also warning about potential copycats. The New York City Police Department announced that several medical personnel were included on a “hit list” posted online in connection with Thompson's murder.
Authorities reportedly claimed that Boston used the “murder of the United Healthcare CEO” to blackmail the insurance company.
“She's been in this world long enough that she should know better…In the current environment we live in, she can't make threats like that and we can track her down and send her to prison.” Please don't think we're going to let you in,” Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor said, according to local media.
When she appeared in court, Mr. Headley told the judge that his client was a 42-year-old married mother of three who had “never been charged with or convicted of any criminal offense” and that she would not be able to help him while the trial progressed. urged him to be released.
The judge set her bail at $100,000, citing “the current situation in our country.”
Ms. Boston appeared to hold her breath after receiving the judge's decision.
