The $1 Bank Robber (December 18)
In June 2011, James Richard Verone, a 59-year-old man from North Carolina, committed a very unusual crime. He walked into a bank and asked for only one dollar and medical help.
Verone had worked for 17 years as a Coca-Cola delivery driver. When he lost his job, he also lost his health insurance. Later, he worked in a small convenience store, but his health became much worse. He suffered from chronic back pain, arthritis, foot pain, and a visible growth on his chest.
Before the crime, Verone sent a letter to his local newspaper. In the letter, he said that he was not mentally ill, but that his body was very sick. His plan was to go to jail so he could receive medical care.
On June 9, Verone took a taxi to a bank. He did not have a weapon. He gave the teller a note asking for one dollar, then sat down and waited for the police. When they arrived, he was arrested calmly. Because the crime was very small, it was treated as a misdemeanor, not a serious crime.
Verone’s lawyer explained that this was not an act of greed or violence, but of desperation. Verone had tried legal options like disability benefits and early retirement, but nothing worked. Without insurance, he could not afford treatment.
While in jail, Verone received medical attention and saw doctors. In the end, he spent about one year in prison. His story became a symbol of problems in the U.S. health-care system, where many people depend on jobs to get medical insurance.
Some people criticized Verone for using prison to get health care. Others said his case showed the urgent need for health-care reform and stronger social safety nets.
1. Vocabulary Match
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Treatment– medical care provided by doctors and nurses8
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Insurance – a minor crime that is not very serious5
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Arrested – strong pain that lasts for a long time4
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Chronic – money paid to protect against health or financial problems
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Misdemeanor – taken by police into custody3
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Desperation – a person who provides legal help given to a person accused of a crime7
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Lawyer – extreme need or hopelessness6
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Disability Benefits – leaving a job because of age
Retirement – a place where criminals are kept as punishment
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Prison–financial payments from government to people unable to work because of illness or injury
2. Synonym Match
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unusual —offense
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crime — unique
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suffered — apparent
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visible — endured
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plan —major
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calmly — able to pay
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serious — idea
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afford — peacefully
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depend — immediate
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urgent — rely
4. Discussion / Communicative Questions
Do you believe Verone’s crime was morally justified? Why or why not?
Should prisons provide free healthcare? What are the ethical and practical implications?
What reforms to the U.S. healthcare system might prevent stories like Verone’s?
Is it acceptable for someone to “manipulate the system” if they feel they have no other choice?
How does public perception of crime change when the motive is “desperation” or “survival”?
In your country, what happens to people who cannot afford medical care? How does that compare to Verone’s options?
How effective is prison as a “safety net” for people who lack basic social services?
What role do empathy and legal responsibility play in such a case—who is to blame?
Could Verone’s case have been handled differently by social services, before he resorted to a crime? How?
5. Court Hearing
Roles: James Verone - the $1 Bank Robber , Prosecutor, Defense Lawyer, Judge, Reporter
Task: Simulate a court hearing. Verone explains his motivations, the prosecutor argues the crime was wrong, the defense tries to humanize him, and the judge must decide on a sentence.
6. Debate:
Debate Topic: “Jail should never be a means to obtain healthcare.”
Team A (For): Argue that using jail for healthcare undermines justice, encourages crime, and misuses public funds.
Team B (Against): Argue that until the health-care system changes, for some people jail is the only way to guarantee life-saving care—society should address root causes.
7. Role-Plays
Role-Play A – “The Day Verone Decided to Go to the Bank”
Characters:
James Verone – exhausted, in pain, desperate
Friend – concerned and shocked by his plan
Script Starter:
Verone: I can’t keep living like this, man ! I can’t get surgery, I can’t afford treatment!
Friend: But going to a bank and asking for one dollar? James, that’s crazy dude!
Verone: It’s the only way to see a doctor. Jail will take care of me.
Friend: There has to be another option… right?
→ Students continue. They decide whether he goes through with it or finds an alternative.
Role-Play B – “Debate at a Family Dinner: Should Prison Provide Free Healthcare?”
Characters:
Mother – believes the system is unfair but doesn’t know the solution
Teenager – thinks Verone was justified
Step Father – believes using jail for treatment is irresponsible
Script Starter:
Mothert: Did you hear about the man who robbed a bank for health care?
Teenager: Honestly, I think he did the only thing he could.
Step Father: What? Crime isn’t the solution. The system is the problem!
Teenager: Exactly — and until it changes, people will do desperate things.
→ Students continue debating ethics, morality, and possible reforms.
Role-Play C – “A 2024 Conversation: Should Health Insurance Still Be Tied to Employment?”
Characters:
Sam – lost job → lost insurance
Ellie – believes the system needs major reform
Script Starter:
Sam: Every time I switch jobs, I lose my coverage. It’s exhausting.
Ellie: That’s exactly why people like Verone fall through the cracks.
Sam: I feel like I’m gambling with my own health.
Ellie: We need a system that protects people, not employers.
→ Students continue with real examples and proposed solutions.
8. Choose one of these 10 things that were affordable in the past that are now too exepensive.
Explain why the price changed
Discuss who benefits and who suffers
Agree on why affordability matters
Suggest one solution to make it affordable again
Essential Things
Housing
Education
Healthcare
Transportation
Food (groceries)
Childcare
Utilities
Clothing
Mobile phones & plans
Entertainment & leisure
9A. Fill-in-the-Blanks
desperate | | | bond | manipulating | necessity | | injustice | incarcerate | | uninsured | reform
Fill-in-the-Blanks
For James it was more a _________ than a crime – he believed he had no other choice.
Many people believed that his story represented a deep _________.
His story created demands for _________ of how health care is funded in America.
After losing his job, he was completely _________ and unable to afford any medical care.
Verone said he was _________ the system, but only because he saw no other way.
He accepted that eventually they would _________ him for his act.
They set his _________ at $2,000, but he chose to stay in jail.
His lawyer insisted that he had been _________, not greedy.
9B. Fill-in-the-Blanks Part II:
Fill-in-the-Blanks
In the U.S., if you do not have insurance and need to go to the hospial, it is unbelievably expensive. It would cost you _________ ________ _________ ________ _________ .
You think that the social system in Spain is so much better than the social system in the U.S. The difference is so big that you cannot even compare. It is _________ and _________.
If someone is only able to pay for their basic needs for survival, then we say that they are living _________ to _________.
If someone has a job but the salary is very low, we can say they are getting paid _________ .
If someone is trying to advise you to be careful with how you spend your money because you might need it when things are bad, then we say: Save your penny for a _________day .
An _________ a day , keeps the doctor away .
- If you are trying to improve your situation but you don´t have patience, someone can advise you that : Rome wasn´t _________ in a day.
If someone did something illegal and they were not caught by the authorities, then they got _________ _________ _________ .
If you are going through a difficult moment in your life, but sometimes diffuclt situations can help us grow from it , then the expression is: What doesn´t kill you makes you _________ .
Your friend works in sales and deals with a lot of rejections every day. You ask your friend what is the secret to not giving up and feeling bad with the daily rejections. Your friend tells you : ¨When I first started, I had very _________ _________ and every rejection affected me a lot. But if I wanted to continue, then I had to grow a _________ _________¨.
Your colleagues are on prolonged sick leave and there are not enough people at work. The company is _________________. You are asked if you can do your work and their work at the same time. You must ________________your work and their work.
If you said yes and now you feel that you have more work than it is possible to accomplish, then you ________ more than you can _________.
If your friends are accusing you of working too much and that you are becoming addicted to work, then they can accuse you of being a ________ .
You let them know that it is a temporary situation and that once the other employess return back to work, you promise them that you will all take a holiday together. For them this is amazing news! It is ________ to their ________ !
Last Tuesday it rained so much ! It rained _________ ________ _________ .
However, this is somethig that rarely happens in Barcelona. It happens _________ ________ _________ ________ _________ .
Your friend recently moved to Barcelona and in the beginning they didn´t like it because they were missing their country alot . They were _________ .
However, after a few weeks they got accustomed to the life here and now Barcelona is _________ ________ _________ .
Two groups represent a “relocation agency” whose job is to convince people that their region is the better place to live.
Group A: Europe Promotion Team
Group B: U.S. Promotion Team
Group A: Europe
They can promote Europe using these examples :
Universal healthcare
Free or affordable higher education
Generous paid vacation & parental leave
Reliable public transportation
Strong social safety nets
Something not on the list
Group B: United States
They must promote the U.S. using these examples :
Cheap and abundant fast food options
Affordable Cars
24/7 convenience stores and late night coffee shops
Affordable consumer goods
Larger homes and more privacy
Something not on the list
11.Students imagine how different media outlets would report James Verone’s story.
Step 1: Assign each group a media perspective
Examples:
Sensationalist tabloid
Conservative news outlet
Progressive/social justice publication
One headline
A 2–3 sentence news summary
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