By The Big Magazine Staff
The 26-year-old suspect faced four federal charges in New York related to the December 4 murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Luigi Mangione, the suspect charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, waived his right to an extradition hearing and was transported from Pennsylvania to New York on Thursday afternoon.
Mangione, 26, attended a preliminary hearing in Blair County, Pennsylvania, on Thursday morning, where he waived extradition and was then taken into custody by the New York City Police Department.
The suspect also faced new federal charges revealed on Thursday: two counts of stalking, murder using a firearm, and a firearms offense.
A neatly groomed Mangione arrived at the federal court in lower Manhattan on Thursday afternoon, dressed in beige slacks and a white shirt beneath a black V-neck. Before the hearing commenced, Mangione picked up the charging sheet and seemed to read it attentively.
At the hearing, Judge Katharine H. Parker presented the four federal charges that had been revealed against Mangione earlier on Thursday. She inquired if Mangione comprehended the charges, to which he replied, “Yes.”
The judge ruled that Mangione will stay in custody until his upcoming court appearance in mid-January. Following the hearing, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, one of Mangione's attorneys, stated outside the courthouse that his defense team is withholding comments.
“We’re going to respectfully decline to make any comment this time. Mr. Mangione appreciates everyone’s support," she said.
Mangione is currently facing federal charges in New York, along with 11 New York state charges related to the ambush shooting of Thompson, and additional charges in Pennsylvania. Thompson was shot and killed on December 4 while walking in front of a Midtown Manhattan hotel to attend a UnitedHealth Group investor conference.
Federal charges
The federal stalking charges focus on Mangione's alleged actions of crossing state lines from Georgia to New York with the purpose of “killing, injuring, harassing, intimidating” and monitoring Thompson, utilizing electronic communications, interstate highways, and the internet to execute “the stalking, shooting, and killing of Brian Thompson.”
The complaint, authored by an FBI special agent, revealed new details about the notebook Mangione had when he was apprehended in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9.
The federal complaint noted that the notebook included "several handwritten pages expressing hostility toward the health insurance industry, particularly wealthy executives." An entry dated Aug. 15, 2024, mentioned that "the details are finally coming together" and indicated that "the target is insurance" because "it checks every box."
An entry dated October 22, 2024, stated: “1.5 months. This investor conference is a genuine windfall,” according to the complaint. Further in the entry, it mentioned a plan to “wack” the CEO of one of the insurance companies at the investor conference. This date was six weeks prior to the December 4 murder, coinciding with the UnitedHealth Group’s investor conference.
According to the complaint, Mangione purportedly wrote in a letter titled “To the Feds,” stating, “I wasn’t working with anyone,” and claimed his actions were “self-funded.”
Extradited from Pennsylvania to New York
After the hearing wrapped, the suspect, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, was ushered out of the courthouse and placed in a black SUV.
At approximately 10:40 a.m., a convoy of New York City police and Pennsylvania state police was observed at Altoona-Blair County Airport. Mangione was placed on a small plane to head to New York. The plane departed roughly 10 minutes later, and he landed at MacArthur Airport on Long Island shortly after noon.
“Everything we did today was in his best interest. We’re ready now to defend, move forward and start defending these charges in New York, and Pennsylvania,” his attorney, Thomas Dickey, said Thursday outside the Blair County courthouse.
After the hearing, Blair County District Attorney Peter Weeks told reporters: “He will go forth with New York to await trial or prosecution for his homicide and related charges in New York. We intend to keep our case active and we intend to essentially revisit the case when the defendant is available for prosecution in Blair County.”
Earlier Thursday morning, Mangione's supporters were spotted outside the courthouse, with some holding signs reading "Free Luigi."
Mangione was charged by New York prosecutors on Tuesday with 11 counts related to Thompson's death. He was apprehended at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after a five-day search. Mangione faced felony charges in Pennsylvania for forgery and possessing a firearm without a license, as well as a misdemeanor charge for using a fake ID.
New York police have said that Mangione may have targeted Thompson because UnitedHealthcare is one of the largest private health insurers in the country. Mangione had suffered a “life-altering injury” to his back, and complained about corporate America and the health care system, according to his writings and past social media posts.
The 11-count indictment out of New York charges him with first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder — one of which is charged as killing in the act of terrorism; two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon; four counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon; one count of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon; and one count of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement.
Mangione’s Pennsylvania attorney, Dickey, has said he will plead not guilty in the New York and Pennsylvania cases.
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