A series of criminal charges reveals a disturbing and complex picture of the man accused of ambushing and killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO Brian Thompson as he arrived at a Manhattan hotel for his company’s annual investor conference. Filed in state courts in New York and Pennsylvania, as well as a federal court in Manhattan, the 20 counts against Luigi Mangione label him as a terrorist and stalker. The charges include possession of a ghost gun and a fake ID, which could lead to a life sentence in state prison or even the federal death penalty.
Mangione, 26, entered a plea of not guilty in a New York state court to an indictment charging him with 11 counts related to the December 4 killing, including murder as a terrorism offense. Prior to this, he appeared in court in Pennsylvania and federal court in Manhattan where he was denied bail on charges of murder, gun possession, and stalking.
Mangione’s lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, has raised concerns about the conflicting terrorism allegations in the state case and stalking charges in the federal complaint, describing the situation as being treated like a “human ping-pong ball.” She expressed these views during a court session on Monday.
The New York indictment against Mangione includes 11 counts, with a focus on a terrorism offense. Prosecutors allege that he killed Thompson in an attempt to intimidate a group of people and influence government policy through coercion. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison and highlight the intention to evoke terror during the midtown Manhattan ambush.
In the federal case, Mangione faces four counts, one of which is a death-penalty eligible charge. The complaint includes counts of stalking, murder through firearm use, and firearms offenses. Despite the possibility of the death penalty for the murder charge, prosecutors have not confirmed if they will seek it.
The federal complaint reveals that Mangione harbored hostility towards the health insurance industry and wealthy executives, as evidenced by a spiral notebook found in his possession. UnitedHealthcare, the victim’s company, is the largest health insurer in the U.S.
Mangione remains in federal custody in Brooklyn as authorities determine where he will be detained during court proceedings.
Mangione was never a client. Among the entries, the complaint said, was one from August that said “the target is insurance” because “it checks every box” and one from October that describes an intent to “wack” an insurance company CEO. Pennsylvania: 5 counts, including gun possession and false ID. Mangione was arrested on Dec. 9 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of New York City, and initially charged there with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Blair County Peter Weeks said last week that he intends to keep the case active and plans to revisit it once Mangione’s murder charges are adjudicated. Mangione was arrested while eating breakfast at an Altoona McDonald’s after a customer noticed that he looked like the person in surveillance photos that police were circulating of Thompson’s killer. Officers found a gun that matched the one used in the shooting, a fake ID and writings that expressed hostility toward the health insurance industry, prosecutors said. Hours later, the Manhattan DA’s office filed paperwork for a warrant for Mangione’s arrest on a murder charge. Mangione, who was held without bail in Pennsylvania, headed off a protracted extradition fight by agreeing to be flown to New York last Thursday.
