A Florida woman became the first alleged Luigi Mangione copycat to be arrested. Briana Boston was arrested in Lakeland, Florida, USA, on Tuesday (December 10) after allegedly threatening her health insurer using language similar to that tied to Mangione, the suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter.
On Tuesday, Boston was allegedly speaking with a representative from Blue Cross Blue Shield, an American health insurance provider, after she had been told that her medical claim was denied.
Boston, frustrated by the denied medical claim, reportedly ended her call with Blue Cross Blue Shield by saying, “Delay, deny, depose. You people are next.”
A Florida woman became the first alleged Luigi Mangione copycat to be arrested
Mangione’s alleged crime involved shell casings engraved with similar phrases like “deny” and “depose,” referencing criticism of the insurance industry.
The words are rooted in the 2010 book Delay, Deny, Defend by Rutgers law professor Jay Feinman, which critiques how insurance companies allegedly avoid paying legitimate claims.
Police said that near the end of the recorded conversation with the insurance provider, Boston can be heard saying, “Delay, deny, depose. You people are next,” ABC News reported on Friday (December 13).
Briana Boston was arrested in Lakeland, Florida, USA, on Tuesday (December 10) after allegedly threatening her health insurer
When Lakeland Police confronted Boston about the perceived threats, she reportedly apologized and said that she “used those words because it’s what is in the news right now.”
The 42-year-old mom-of-three further informed authorities that she did not own any guns and was not a threat, but went on to say that healthcare companies “deserve karma” and that they are “evil,” ABC News reported.
“Boston further stated the health care companies played games and deserved karma from the world because they are evil,” police said in the affidavit.
Boston allegedly used language similar to that tied to Mangione, the suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter
Following the investigation, Boston was reportedly charged with threats to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism and booked at a jail in Polk County.
“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,” said Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor, per WFLA.
A judge set her bond at $100,000, describing it as “appropriate considering the status of our country at this point,” The Daily Beast reported on Thursday (December 12).
In footage from her court appearance, Boston appeared to cry after learning that she was going to be placed in jail on a triple-figure bond, as per The Daily Beast.
Her attorney Jim Headley told the court: “My client is 42, married mother of three. Never had any criminal charges or convictions. May you release her on her own recognizance.”
Hashtags like #FreeBriana and #JusticeForBriana have since been trending online, with supporters arguing her words were an expression of anger rather than a real threat.
The words are rooted in the 2010 book Delay, Deny, Defend by Rutgers law professor Jay Feinman
A Facebook user commented: “Isn’t freedom of speech beautiful behind bars? Locked away from your children, denied your freedom of speech, while yet another CEO makes hundreds of thousands off of more denied claims.”
A Threads user wrote: “Briana Boston is being made an example of and it’s no coincidence this happened in Florida.
“They’re afraid. Mirroring back injustices on the system that perpetrates them is criticism, not a threat.”
A person shared: “Even if someone wants to argue that this was a threat, 15 years at 100K bond is an absolutely insane consequence.
“They’re trying to make an example out of her. It’s literally fascism.”
Someone else questioned: “Excuse me. Why aren’t more people talking about Briana Boston?”
Her attorney Jim Headley told the court: “My client is 42, married mother of three. Never had any criminal charges or convictions”
A separate individual chimed in: “Briana Boston. She’s a queen and a living legend. She did nothing wrong.
“They trying to make an example out of her. Fascism at its core. We have to be smart about how we interact with the people in power.
“We will win this, just play it smart. Briana Boston, remember her name.”
Since Mangione was identified as the prime suspect in Brian Thompson’s murder, trends linked to evidence from the case have surfaced.
On Tuesday, “Wanted” posters targeting corporate executives appeared across New York City, many featuring the phrase “Deny. Defend. Depose.”
Bored Panda has contacted Jim Headley for comment.
“They don’t punish abusers and ped*s nearly as harshly,” a reader commented
