Law enforcement officials extradited Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, to New York on Thursday, Dec. 19. There, Mangione listened as a judge read out four federal charges against him, including murder with a firearm, an offense punishable by the death penalty.
The hearing followed Mangione’s move from Pennsylvania, where police arrested him on Dec. 9, to New York.
Armed guards surrounded Mangione as NYPD officers walked him off a helicopter upon his arrival in Manhattan. New York City Mayor Eric Adams joined the walk.
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“Police Commissioner [Jessica] Tisch and I all want to send a very clear and loud message that this act of terrorism and the violence that stems from it is something that will not be tolerated in this city,” Adams told the press at the site of the helicopter arrival.
Mangione already faces state-level charges in New York. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg brought charges Tuesday, Dec. 17, against him, including for murder as an act of terrorism.
But Mangione also received a hero’s welcome from some protesters outside the federal courthouse, as the killing of the 50-year-old Thompson sparked backlash against the health insurance industry and its coverage policies.
While judges have not set any dates yet, Mangione will face state-level charges first. A federal trial will follow.
New York abolished the death penalty, meaning it’s not an option for Mangione in the state-level case. However, the death penalty can still be exercised in the federal case.
