Briana Boston, a Lakeland, Florida, resident, was arrested in December 2024 after police alleged she threatened a Blue Cross Blue Shield representative during a call about a denied medical claim. The State Attorney’s Office later dropped the charge, and Boston would not be prosecuted, according to LkldNow’s February 25, 2025, report.
What did Briana Boston allegedly say?
ABC News reported that Boston, then 42, was speaking with a Blue Cross Blue Shield representative after being told that a medical claim had been denied. An arrest affidavit obtained by ABC said that near the end of the recorded call, Boston could be heard saying: “Delay, deny, depose. You people are next.” Police characterized the words as a threat; this was an allegation, not a court finding that she committed a crime. ABC News reported on the arrest and affidavit.
Why was she arrested?
Police arrested Boston in Lakeland on December 10, 2024, and accused her of making a threat during the insurance call. ABC News reported the arrest two days later. The arrest reflected the police allegation at that point in the case; it did not establish guilt.
Was the charge dropped?
Yes. On February 25, 2025, LkldNow reported that the State Attorney’s Office dropped the second-degree felony charge. The outlet said Assistant State Attorney Joseph McCarthy wrote on February 14 that Boston “will not be prosecuted for this incident.” LkldNow reported that Boston had made a sincere apology to Blue Cross Blue Shield and its representative, and that both were satisfied and sought no sanctions. The outlet also said a state attorney’s case evaluation attributed the claim denial to Boston not having updated information through a coordination-of-benefits form. These details reflect LkldNow’s account of prosecutor and case materials; the underlying docket language was not independently reviewed here. Read LkldNow’s report on the dropped charge.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
What does “delay, deny, depose” mean?
The phrase echoed words reported on shell casings in the investigation of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killing in New York on December 4, 2024, according to the Associated Press. AP connected it to “delay, deny, defend,” a phrase used to describe insurer tactics in handling expensive claims. That broader characterization does not establish wrongdoing by Blue Cross Blue Shield in Boston’s individual claim.
ABC News also connected the wording to Jay Feinman’s 2010 book, Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It. Feinman is a legal scholar and insurance expert who is professor emeritus at Rutgers Law School. ABC described the book as examining insurance abuses involving auto and homeowners claims; it is not about Boston’s medical claim and was not part of her case. The Associated Press covered the phrase and its context; ABC News discussed the book connection.
Quick Recap
Best Value
![Insurance Law and Policy: Cases and Materials [Connected eBook] (Aspen Casebook)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31XVO3MQ2cL._SL160_.jpg)
- Enhanced focus on insurance's role in disasters and catastrophes, including COVID-19
- Comprehensive coverage of the finalized Restatement of the Law, Liability Insurance
- Liability insurance chapters reorganized for step-by-step learning
- Replaced complex cases with newer, easier-to-teach ones
Rank #3
Rank #2
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
