Woman accused of threatening healthcare company using words of CEO’s killer

A woman has been accused of threatening a health insurance company by repeating words etched on bullet casings found at the scene of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Briana Boston, 42, is accused of saying “Delay, deny, depose, you’re next” while speaking on a recorded line with a Blue Cross Blue Shield representative about a denied medical claim.

Boston, who is from Florida, was charged with threats to carry out a mass shooting or an act of terrorism. A judge set his bail at $100,000 (£78,900).

Following Tuesday’s phone call with the American healthcare company, local media reported that detectives from Lakeland, Florida, showed up at Ms. Boston’s home and arrested her.

The Lakeland Police Department and Boston attorney Jim Headley did not respond to requests for comment.

Boston reportedly told police that “health care companies were gambling and deserved karma from the world because they are evil.”

He said he had used the words related to Thompson’s killer “because that’s what’s on the news right now.”

Police said shell casings found at the scene in Manhattan were etched with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose.”

Those words echo the title of a 2010 book: “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.”

Luigi Mangione, 26, is charged with Thompson’s murder. He was arrested in Pennsylvania on firearms charges on Monday, ending a days-long, multi-state manhunt that appeared to have few leads.

The case has generated support for Mangione and anger against the U.S. for-profit health insurance industry, as some customers have faced high costs and been denied claims.

Law enforcement officials have also warned of potential copycats. The New York Police Department has said that some health care executives have been named on a “hit list” that was posted online in connection with Thompson’s murder.

Authorities reportedly alleged that Ms. Boston had used “the murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO to her advantage” to threaten the insurance company.

“She’s been in this world long enough that she certainly should know better… You can’t make threats like that in the current environment we live in and think we’re not going to follow up and throw you in jail.” said Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor, according to local media.

When she appeared in court, Headley urged the judge to release her while the case proceeded, arguing that her client was a 42-year-old married mother of three who “has never had any criminal charges or convictions.”

The judge set his bail at $100,000, citing “the state of our country right now.”

Boston appeared to gasp in response to the judge’s decision.