Luigi Mangione was hit with serious charges, including first-degree murder, in connection with the ambush killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
This indictment ramps up the stakes for Mangione, 26, in the case surrounding Thompson’s death outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4.
RELATED: NYPD Claims Luigi Mangione Had No Insurance with UnitedHealthcare
Things took a turn for Mangione after he was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9, following a massive manhunt that led to his identification.
He faced felony charges in Pennsylvania for forgery and carrying a firearm without a license, along with misdemeanor charges related to using fake ID. In New York, he’s looking at charges of murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and possession of a forged instrument, and he’s currently fighting extradition.
A spokesperson for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told NBC News that she would file an extradition order and paperwork as soon as Mangione was indicted.
Mangione’s attorney in Pennsylvania, Thomas Dickey, stated that his client would plead not guilty in both New York and Pennsylvania cases. Karen Friedman Agnifilo has been brought on board to represent him in New York.
When cops nabbed him, they discovered a gun, a fake ID, a notebook, and a handwritten document. Officials revealed that the document criticized the healthcare industry in the U.S., large corporations, and specifically called out UnitedHealthcare. According to three senior law enforcement officials, it even included a line that said, “frankly these parasites had it coming.”
Thompson’s murder and the allegations against Mangione have sparked intense discussions and outrage regarding the health insurance industry and the healthcare system in the U.S.
Before his arrest, Mangione had been off the grid for months. His family reported him missing to San Francisco police in mid-November, stating in a missing persons flyer that his mother last spoke to him on July 1.
He had spent some time in Hawaii in 2022 but aggravated ongoing back problems while surfing, according to those who knew him there.
