Court proceedings against man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO delayed for weeks

NEW YORK– The man accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO outside a New York hotel is unlikely to appear again in Manhattan federal court before mid-February, after prosecutors and lawyers on Monday asked for more time to prepare the case for trial.

The lawyers agreed in a letter to the court that the deadline to file an indictment against Luigi Mangione could be extended from January 18 to February 17.

Mangione, 26, is now the subject of a criminal complaint, a document filed against individuals before an indictment is returned.

Prosecutors said they consulted with the defense and agreed that the deadline extension was necessary “to allow both parties to adequately prepare for pretrial proceedings and the trial itself.”

Mangione’s lawyers and federal prosecutors declined to comment.

The case is unusual because at least one charge carries the possibility of the death penalty, but the decision whether to pursue that punishment must be decided by the Justice Department in Washington, where top officials will be replaced as the President-elect Donald Trump will take office later this month. .

Authorities say Mangione fatally shot Brian Thompson on Dec. 4 while he was on his way to an investor conference in midtown Manhattan.

The killing shocked the business community and galvanized some health insurance critics. Mangione posted frequently online about his back pain problems, although he was never a UnitedHealthcare customer.

The federal charges against Mangione include murder and firearms charges. He made an initial appearance on the charges late last month. He will not be required to plead guilty until an indictment is returned.

Mangione pleaded not guilty in New York state court to several counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism. Prosecutors said the two cases would follow parallel tracks, with the state charges to be tried first. His next appearance in state court is scheduled for Feb. 21.

The maximum sentence for the state charges is life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Mangione was arrested Dec. 9 at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania after a five-day search. He is being held in a Brooklyn federal prison alongside several other high-profile defendants, including Sean “Diddy” Combs and cryptocurrency fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried.