Briana Boston, the 42-year-old woman accused of threatening Blue Cross Blue Shield after the health insurance company allegedly denied some medical claims by her, is being held on a $100,000 bond, according to local media.
Boston, of Lakeland, was charged with “threats to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism” after allegedly telling her health insurance provider over the phone, “delay, deny, depose, you people are next.” The words “delay, defend, depose,” were written on shell casings found at the scene in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4.
Thompson was fatally shot while walking toward a Hilton hotel in New York City and police have arrested and charged 26-year-old Luigi Mangione in the shooting. Boston appears to be the first person arrested in a case making reference following the high-profile shooting.
The killing of the CEO captivated the nation, both for the brutality of the crime and for the anger and frustration many people expressed about the health care insurance system. It has been a boiling point in Americans’ anger over the health care industry, as many reacted with indifference or schadenfreude, citing their own negative experiences with in dealing with insurance claims.
Boston is being held on $100,000 bond, and a judge presiding over her case said it was “appropriate considering the status of our country at this point,” reported news station WFLA. Newsweek reached out to the office of Michelle O. Pincket, who is overseeing the case, for comment.
Boston, however, told police that she does not own a gun and did not mean to make a threat against anyone, adding that health insurance companies are “evil” and “deserve karma,” reported ABC News. She had also apologized for using those words, reported 11News.
On social media, the high amount for her bond has sparked questions about whether it is excessive. But some legal experts told Newsweek the bond is fair and not particularly surprising.
Former federal prosecutor Shanlon Wu told Newsweek the bond seems high “for someone with her lack of a criminal history,” but that it may be a warning to other potential copycats in the wake of the highly visible New York case.
“The judge however is understandably trying to send a disincentive message to any potential copy-cat actions arising from the NYC murder,” he said.
It’s also unsurprising that Boston was charged, he said.
“The main problem seems to be her allegedly saying “you’re next” which in conjunction with her reference to the saying on the shell casings in the NYC murder made it inevitable that she would be criminally investigated,” he said.
Michael McAuliffe, a former federal prosecutor and former elected state attorney, told Newsweek he believes it is likely the bond is “too high given that other conditions of bond exist,” such as barring Boston from contacting health insurance companies or employees.
“Even accepting that a threat was made and intended, little to no evidence exists (at least publicly) that the defendant has the ability to carry out any violence targeting health care companies,” he said.
McAuliffe also raised questions about the judge referring to the state of the country to make a decision about the bond.
“Bonds must be tailored to the specific facts of an individual case, not the general climate of the country. I anticipate that the defense attorney will move for a reconsideration of the bond and offer alternative conditions to ensure the safety of the community,” he said
Former federal prosecutor Gene Rossi told Newsweek he believes the bond is appropriate.
“Given that she used the phrase similar to delay, deny, defend, the judge was erring on the side of caution because he had a defendant who expressed extreme anger to BC on that call,” he said. “The $100,000 bond in that instance may be appropriate. Her use of that three-word phrase suggests she was going to take it another step and possibly harm somebody.”
Judges would take into account that she said she does not own a gun, he said, but if the judge viewed the comment “in the light most unfavorable to Boston,” she would interpret that as a legitimate threat, according to Rossi.
Some others on social media have questioned if the bond is excessive.
“$100k bond for this is legit chilling. They are so scared of an uprising. And she’s right, they are evil. You should be able to say to a health insurance company to their face how evil they are and that they deserve the wrath they face for being so evil,” posted Lindsay Ballant, former art and design director for the New Republican, on X (formerly Twitter).
Journalist Tony Webster posted, “Bail should not be a reflection of America’s vibes, it’s supposed to be an individualized assessment of danger to society and making future court appearances.”
The shooting of Thompson sparked concerns about potential copycats. Mangione is being held in jail in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested on Monday, awaiting possible extradition to New York, where he faces several charges including murder.
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