Donations pour in for Lakeland woman accused of insurance threat
December 16, 2024
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Health insurance industry faces backlash after UnitedHealthcare CEO death
Bạn đang xem: Donations pour in for Lakeland woman accused of insurance threat
There’s a common theme in the wave of unsympathetic posts about UnitedHealth exec Brian Thompson’s death: rage against the health insurance industry.
A Lakeland woman has drawn international attention for her arrest last week after she allegedly uttered the phase “Delay, deny, depose” on a phone call with an insurance representative, and donations have poured into a GoFundMe account set up for her legal expenses.
Briana Boston, 42, faces a felony charge of “written threat to kill or injure — conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism.” She pleaded not guilty in a first court appearance.
Boston’s arrest followed the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4 in New York City. Luigi Mangione, 26, has been charged with Thompson’s murder. Bullets and shell casings found at the murder scene reportedly bore the handwritten words “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” in apparent reference to tactics used by insurance companies to avoid paying for medical coverage or claims.
Boston received pre-trial release after posting the $100,000 bond set by Circuit Judge Catherine Combee. The judge confined Boston to home arrest and GPS monitoring, though Boston is allowed to leave home for work, court appearances, attorney and medical appointments, church and weekly shopping.
The call, and the arrest
Boston called the Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance company on Dec. 10 to discuss two recent medical claims that had been denied, according to an arrest affidavit. Near the end of the recorded call with a representative, Boston said, “Delay, deny, depose. You people are next,” the affidavit states.
The company notified the FBI, which contacted the Lakeland Police Department. The LPD detective who filed the arrest report, Stephen Bonczyk, is assigned to the FBI Tampa Bay Safe Streets Task Force, the affidavit says.
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The detective interviewed Boston at her home in Lakeland the same day as the call. She acknowledged making the statement and apologized, according to the affidavit, saying she had learned of the phrase from news coverage of Thompson’s shooting.
Boston told the detective that she did not own any firearms and was not a danger to anyone, the affidavit states. She “further stated the health care companies played games and deserved karma from the world because they are evil.”
“Based on the aforementioned statements made by Boston and based off of current events, I believe these statements were meant to threaten the insurance company by using the UnitedHealthcare CEO’s homicide to her advantage,” the detective wrote.
Boston paid $10,000 to secure the $100,000 bond payment from Premium Bail Bonds in Bartow, records from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office indicate. The Ledger received no response Monday to a voicemail left with the office of Boston’s lawyer, James Headley of Lakeland.
The State Attorney’s Office for the 10th Judicial Circuit has not yet indicated whether it will prosecute Boston for the original charge.
Boston is a married mother of three, according to news reports.
International attention
Media outlets across the United States and beyond have reported on Boston’s arrest, reflecting the intense interest in Mangione’s case. Thompson’s murder has galvanized anger toward the practices of health insurers, even as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and other elected officials have condemned the act of violence.
The Sydney Morning Herald in Australia included a mention of Boston’s arrest in an update on the Mangione prosecution. Such national outlets as ABC News, Fox News, Newsweek and the New York Post have also reported on Boston’s arrest.
Daniel Boston, Briana’s husband, created a GoFundMe account to raise money for her bond payment, legal fees and other expenses.
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As of Monday morning, the campaign had received more than $31,000 toward a goal of $45,000.
“Briana and myself continue to be amazed and overwhelmed by the support from around the world; it is greatly appreciated and we cannot give enough thanks,” Daniel Boston wrote in an update Sunday on the account web page. “While we cannot comment on the details of her case, contrary to some reporting her legal status has not changed at this time, other than she is no longer physically incarcerated. If for some reason this were to change and we are guaranteed she is no longer in legal jeopardy, this GoFundMe campaign would be ended as soon as possible. Thank you.”
Some of the donors contributed comments on the account page.
“Almost 2 years ago, when I had cancer, my insurance refused a test meant to assess the severity and spread of it because ‘your condition is not bad enough yet,’ ” one woman wrote. “They wanted to wait for me to get worse instead of establishing a baseline to help my treatment. Thankfully, my experienced surgeon had a workaround. Your pain is felt by many, Briana, and voicing it is a 1st amendment right!”
Another contributor wrote: “What’s being done to you is pure political theater. You should never have spent a single second in prison. After you are acquitted I highly recommend seeking legal recompense against the state of Florida.”
“15 years for words spoken in perfectly understandable frustration at health insurance companies who bankrupt, betray and kill tens of thousands of their clients each year???” a man commented. “Such excessive sentencing by the judge isn’t a sign of strength from the elites — it’s proof of their fear and weakness. The eyes of the world are watching. Hang in there. Support and kind thoughts for you and your family from the UK.”
Lakeland Police Chief Sammy Taylor last week defended Boston’s arrest.
“She’s been in this world long enough that she certainly should know better that you can’t make threats like that in the current environment that we live in and think that we’re not going to follow up and put you in jail,” Taylor said, as reported by WFLA.
A spokesperson did not comment Monday on a question about any calls the department might have received in response to Boston’s arrest.
Gary White can be reached at [email protected] or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.
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