A Florida woman has been charged after allegedly threatening a health insurance company by using words that sounded like those tied to a shocking murder case involving a healthcare CEO.
Briana Boston, 42, was arrested after a heated phone call with a representative from Blue Cross Blue Shield about a denied medical claim. During the call, she reportedly said, “Delay, deny, depose, you people are next.” The chilling words echoed those linked to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City, a case that has stirred anger over the U.S. healthcare system.
Boston now faces charges for making threats of a mass shooting or terrorism. A judge in Lakeland, Florida, set her bond at $100,000.
The trouble began after her call with the insurance company on Tuesday. Police officers showed up at her home in Lakeland shortly after and arrested her. Boston allegedly told police she believed healthcare companies “deserved karma” because, in her view, they were “evil” and “played games” with people’s lives. She admitted to using words connected to the CEO murder case, saying, “It’s what’s in the news right now.”
The murder of UnitedHealthcare’s Brian Thompson has sparked nationwide attention. The main suspect, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, was caught in Pennsylvania on Monday after a multi-state manhunt. Investigators say Mangione’s actions—and the alleged motivations behind them—have exposed frustrations many people feel toward the country’s for-profit healthcare system. Reports of high costs and denied claims have fueled public anger, with some even voicing sympathy for Mangione.
Adding to the tension, a “hit list” targeting healthcare executives reportedly surfaced online following Thompson’s death. The New York Police Department has warned of possible copycat threats and has increased security around executives in the industry.
Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor believes Boston knew exactly what she was doing. Speaking to local media, Taylor said, “She’s been in this world long enough to know better. You can’t make threats like that and think we won’t take action.”
Boston’s lawyer, Jim Headley, argued in court that she was not a danger to the community. He described her as a married mother of three with no criminal record. Despite this, the judge declined to release her, saying, “Given the state of our country right now, these threats can’t be taken lightly.”
As the judge set her bail at $100,000, Boston appeared visibly shocked, gasping in response to the decision.
The case comes at a time when frustrations with the U.S. healthcare system are boiling over, with many questioning the role of insurance companies in denying critical care. While Boston’s lawyer and the Lakeland Police Department have not issued further comments, the story highlights how a high-profile crime has sent ripples of fear and outrage across the nation.
