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A Gastonia man who says he robbed a bank in order to get health coverage is now out of jail.
James Richard Verone, 60, was released from the Gaston County Jail early Monday evening, according to the sheriff’s website.
The Gaston Gazette reports Verone went to a homeless shelter after his release.
Verone drew international headlines after he walked into a RBC Centura Bank in Gastonia June 2011 and slipped a teller a note demanding $1 and medical treatment. Authorities said the man then sat down and waited for police to arrive.
Records showed that Verone had no prior criminal history, but court documents revealed he owed tens of thousands of dollars in judgments and had filed a domestic violence suit against a family member last January.
After the bank robbery, Verone was charged with larceny from a person, a misdemeanor.
The Gazette reported Verone was released Monday after entering an Alford plea on the charge, and receiving credit for time served. The paper talked with Verone about his future plans. Read more at: http://bit.ly/LV3VtT Observer archives contributed
