Florida mom arrested for saying ‘Delay Deny Depose’ on call with BlueCross BlueShield health insurer: ‘You people are next’
A Florida mother was arrested for saying the phrase “Delay, Deny, Depose” — in an apparent
reference to the targeted UnitedHealthcare CEO killing — on a call to a health insurance company over a denied claim.
Briana Boston, 42, was arrested at her Lakeland. Fla., home on Tuesday after allegedly making threats on a call to BlueCross BlueShield regarding the denial of a recent medical insurance claim,
WFLA reported.
Boston ended the recorded conversation with the company rep by saying “Delay, deny, depose. You people are next,” Lakeland Police said, according to the local outlet.
Detectives with the Lakeland Police later showed up at Boston’s home and questioned her about the phone conversation with the insurance giant.
The mother of three then told cops that “healthcare companies played games and deserved karma from the world because they are evil.”
Boston does not own any firearms and claimed to cops that she “was not a danger to anyone,” WFLA reported.
But police said the angry mom intended to threaten the company by purposefully invoking a phrase strikingly similar to the one
Luigi Mangione allegedly scrawled on bullets he’s accused of shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson with.
Mangione, who is facing a murder charge in the slaying, allegedly
wrote “Deny,” “Defend,” and “Depose” on ammunition recovered at the murder scene outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel.
The three words are a play on the title of the 2010 book “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It” which criticizes the American healthcare system.
Delay, Deny, Defend” — known as the “three d’s of insurance” — refers to companies’ alleged schemes to limit medical claims in order to drive up profits.
Boston faces charges of threats to conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism, according to an affidavit reviewed by WFLA.
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,” Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor said, according to the outlet.
Despite owning no firearms, Briana Boston has been jailed and charged with “threats to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism.” Her bond was set at $100,000. Her charge is a second degree felony, which can lead to 15 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine. She’s a mother of 3 with no prior arrests.