By Michael R. Sisak and Larry Neumeister
New York (AP) – Luigi Mangione was charged Thursday on an accusation of federal murder in the murder of the CEO of Unitedhealthcare, Brian Thompson, a step required while the prosecutors work to make the order of the Trump administration to ask for the death penalty for what he called a “cold and premeditated assassination that shocked America”.
Mangione’s indictment, returned by a great federal jury to Manhattan, includes an accusation of murder by the use of a firearm, which carries the possibility of the death penalty. The indictment, which reflects a criminal complaint filed after the arrest of Mangione last December, also accused him of harassment and an offense with the weapon.
The mangione lawyers argued that the announcement of the American prosecutor General Pam Bondi ordered the prosecutors to ask the death penalty was a “political blow” which corrupted the process of the Grand Jury and deprived it of its constitutional right to a regular procedure.
Mangione, a 26 -year -old graduate of the Ivy League of a prominent real estate family, faces accusations of federal murder and separate State after the authorities said they had shot down Thompson, 50, outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4, while the executive arrived for the annual investor conference of United Headhealthcare.
The surveillance video showed a masked shooter pulling Thompson from behind. The police said that the words “delay”, “deny” and “deposit” were scribbled on the ammunition, imitating a phrase commonly used to describe how insurers avoid paying complaints.
The murder and search of five days that followed leading to the arrest of Mangione shaken the business community, certain health insurers removing photos of executives from their websites and moving to online shareholders’ meetings. At the same time, some health insurance critics have gathered around Mangione as a replacement for frustrations concerning coverage refusals and high medical invoices.
The Federal Mangione accusation came just before a deadline for prosecutors to deposit one or request a delay. He was not immediately clear when he was brought before the Federal Court of Manhattan for indictment.
A message asking for comments was left for a spokesperson for the mangione defense team.
Bondi announced on April 1 that she directed the federal prosecutors in Manhattan to ask for the death penalty against Mangione. It was the first time that the Ministry of Justice said that it had been sentenced to capital punishment since President Donald Trump returned to the post on January 20 with a wish to resume federal executions after being interrupted under the previous administration.
In his announcement, Bondi described the murder of Thompson as “an act of political violence”.
Mangione’s lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo, set out in a later court stating that “the United States government intends to kill Mr. Mangione as a political blow”. She wants prosecutors to be prevented from asking for the death penalty.
Friedman Agnifilo and his coconsil argued that the announcement of Bondi – which was followed by messages on his Instagram account and an appearance on television – violated the protocols of the Ministry of Justice established for a long time and “inderbidly” prejudicially “the process of the great jury which finally led to its act of access.
Mangione remains locked in a federal prison in Brooklyn. His state accusations bear a maximum life in life.
The prosecutors said that both cases would continue on parallel tracks, the case of the state should be tried first. It was not immediately clear if the indictment of Mangione Thursday will change the order.
Mangione was arrested on December 9 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (approximately 370 kilometers) west of New York and led to Manhattan by plane and helicopter.
The police said that Mangione had a 9 mm handgun that corresponded to that used in the shooting and other articles, including a notebook in which they say that he expressed hostility towards the health insurance industry and rich executives.
Among the entries, prosecutors said, was one from August 2024 which said that “the objective is insurance” because “it checks each box” and one of October which describes an intention of “Wack” a CEO of an insurance company. Unitedhealthcare, the largest American health insurer, said that Mangione was never a client.
Friedman Agnifilo said she would seek to remove certain evidence.
Originally published:
California Daily Newspapers
