Luigi Mangione is set to appear in federal court on Friday afternoon for his arraignment on federal charges. The Department of Justice has announced its intention to pursue the death penalty against him after he allegedly assassinated UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
An indictment against Mangione was secured by the Department of Justice in the Southern District of New York. The charges include stalking and murdering Thompson, as well as utilizing electronic communications, interstate travel, and a firearm during the incident that led to the healthcare insurance CEO’s death on Dec. 4, 2024.
If found guilty of murder involving a firearm, the 26-year-old defendant could potentially face the death penalty, as indicated by federal prosecutors in their court submissions.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital that the Department of Justice’s openness to using the death penalty indicates a stark difference from the Biden administration.
UnitedHealthcare headquarters in Minnetonka, Minn. (iStock)
The suspected gunman in UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder, believed to be Luigi Mangione, is seen flirting with a hostel employee on surveillance footage before the Dec. 4, 2024, shooting. (NYPD)
Thompson, who lived in Minnesota, was in New York City for a publicly announced shareholder conference. An earlier federal complaint alleges that Mangione traveled by bus from Atlanta to New York City and arrived at the Port Authority bus terminal in Manhattan on Nov. 24, 2024.
Mangione allegedly checked into a hostel under a fake New Jersey license under the name “Mark Rosario.” Prior to allegedly shooting Thompson, the University of Pennsylvania graduate was seen riding an electric bicycle to a spot near the New York Hilton Midtown hotel.
He was arrested at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania, and prosecutors recovered a notebook full of writings which they say depicted a calculated assassination attempt, in addition to a “ghost gun.”
Mangione also faces charges in New York and Pennsylvania in addition to the federal charges. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
