LAKELAND, Fla. — A Florida woman has been charged with threatening her health care provider during a phone call after police say she uttered the same words found on bullet casings used in police custody. murder of an insurance executive in New York.
Briana Boston, 42, told a Blue Cross Blue Shield representative: “Slow down, deny, shut down. You people are next,” as they ended a phone call Tuesday in which she unsuccessfully challenged the company’s denial of her insurance claim, Lakeland police say from a recording.
The words “delay,” “deny” and “depose” are written on the shell casings left at the scene of the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York City street on December 4. strategy of ‘delay, denial, defense’ Some insurance companies when dealing with expensive claims use: Delay the decision, deny the claim and aggressively defend themselves.
Luigi Mangione26, is charged with murder in Thompson’s killing.
According to police, when Boston was questioned by officers on Wednesday, she said she used the words because “it’s what’s in the news right now.” She told officers she does not own any guns and is accused of adding that insurance companies “are bad” and “deserve karma.”
Boston was arrested and charged with threatening an act of terrorism. She was being held without bail at the Polk County Jail on Friday. Court records do not indicate whether she has an attorney, and the telephone connection at her home address has been lost.
The charge is a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison if convicted.