He was charged with murder as an act of terrorism but the man who is suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson entered a not guilty plea.
When Luigi Mangione 26 was arraigned in a Manhattan court following Thompson’s shooting death outside a New York hotel on December 4 he entered his plea.
Days after Thompsons death Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania and showed up shackled and handcuffed.
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He opted not to be extradited and was transported to New York to appear in court today December 23 which is his first chance to formally address the charges against him made by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
He is charged with first- and second-degree murder criminal possession of a weapon and possession of a forged driver’s license by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
However his attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo has stated that they intend to fight these changes whether state or federal to the fullest extent.
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Two trials—one at the state level and one at the federal level—will be held against Mangione for the alleged offences.
“He’s being treated like a human ping pong ball,” she claimed.
The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has confirmed to CNN that it is working with federal authorities for Mangione’s arraignment on the state charges and the two cases are scheduled to proceed concurrently.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said: “Today, the Justice Department has brought federal murder charges against Luigi Mangione. As alleged, Mangione planned his attack for months and stalked his victim for days before murdering him — methodically planning when, where, and how to carry out his crime.
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I am grateful to our state and local law enforcement partners for their tireless efforts to locate and apprehend the defendant and to ensure that he answers for his alleged crime.”
Edward Y. Kim, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, claimed Thompson was ‘gunned down in cold blood’ and said he had allegedly been killed ‘just because he held the position of chief executive officer of a health insurance company’.
The US Department of Justice released a federal criminal complaint on December 19 that accused Mangione of stalking Thompson in the final days of his life.
