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IT'S A TRADEOFF...GIVING UP HIS
FREEDOM TO GET HEALTH CARE FOR
FREE.
HE SAYS HE STOLE SMALL ITEMS FOR
A VERY BIG REASON.
56-YEAR OLD EX- CON FRANK
MORROCCO OF AMHERST HOPED A
RECENT PAROLE VIOLATION WOULD
SEND HIM BACK TO PRISON WHERE
TAXPAYERS WOULD FOOT THE BILL TO
TREAT HIS LEUKEMIA. BUT NEWS
4'S LUKE MORETTI REPORTS A
FEDERAL JUDGE HAD OTHER PLANS.
(( I GOT ARRESTED ON PURPOSE TO
TRY TO GET HEALTH CARE. )) FRANK
MORROCCO HAD A PLAN. GET
ARRESTED FOR SHOPLIFTING AND GET
SENT BACK TO PRISON.
(( FRANK MORROCCO/ ACTUALLY I
DIDN'T WANT TO GO BACK TO
PRISON. BUT, DID I WANT TO DIE
OUT HERE. ABSOLUTELY NOT. I WANT
TO LIVE. ))
MORROCCO WAS RELEASED FROM
FEDERAL PRISON A YEAR AGO AFTER
SERVING 20 YEARS ON A DRUG
CONSPIRACY CONVICTION. HE WAS
GETTING CANCER TREATMENT AS AN
INMATE --- BUT SOON REALIZED HE
COULDN'T AFFORD THE SAME
TREATMENT ON THE OUTSIDE. SO, ON
NOVEMBER 26TH -- MORROCCO SAYS
HE DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT
IT AT THIS WEGMAN'S STORE IN
AMHERST.
(( FRANK MORROCCO: I TOLD THE
DOCTOR EARLIER THAT DAY. MY
HANDS ARE TIED. I'M JUST GOING
TO IN WEGMAN'S ..I'M GOING TO GO
TO
THE STORE AND JUST GRAB
SOMETHING . LET THEM SEE ME AND
VIOLATE MY SUPERVISED RELEASE.))
HE WAS ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY
SHOPLIFTING ABOUT 20-DOLLARS
WORTH OF MERCHANDISE. MORROCCO
FIGURED HE'D BE ABLE TO GO BACK
TO PRISON AND GET TREATMENT FOR
HIS RARE FORM OF LEUKEMIA. BUT
AFTER SURRENDERING TO FEDERAL
AUTHORITIES THIS MORNING... HE
WAS RELEASED LATE THIS
AFTERNOON. MORROCCO'S LAWYER ,
JOEL DANIELS, SAYS HIS CLIENT IS
IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING
ARRANGEMENTS TO GET THE MEDICAL
COVERAGE HE NEEDS.
(( LUKE MORETTI: DID YOU THINK
YOU WERE GOING TO BE RELEASED BY
THE END OF THE DAY? FRANK
MORROCCO: ABSOLUTELY NOT. WASN'T
MY INTENTION EVEN THOUGH I
SECOND GUESSED IT. ))
(( LUKE MORETTI: YOU THOUGHT YOU
WERE GOING BACK TO PRISON? FRANK
MORROCCO: ABSOLUTELY.. I'M
THANKFUL I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, BUT,
NOW I'VE GOT ANOTHER EXPENSE
THAT IN REALLY DON'T LOOK
FORWARD TO PAYING RIGHT NOW..
BUT IF YOU WANT TO LIVE I GUESS
IT'S A PAYMENT FOR LIFE. ))
MORROCCO TOLD ME HE HAD SECOND
THOUGHTS ABOUT GOING BACK TO
PRISON... BUT AS IT TURNS
OUT....HE WON'T BE GOING AFTER
ALL... HE SAYS A RELATIVE AND A
FRIEND HAVE STEPPED UP TO HELP
HIM WITH THE COSTS OF MEDICAL
COVERAGE FOR
TREATMENT.
HE HAS A COURT DATE OF JANUARY
31ST IN IN THE TOWN OF
AMHERST...
A FEDERAL MAGISTRATE TOLD HIM HE
MUST COMPLY WITH COURT