Luigi Mangione is about to be arraigned Friday on federal costs, together with homicide and stalking, within the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, allegations that might get him the loss of life penalty if convicted.
Prosecutors filed formal discover forward of the 1 p.m. listening to that they intend to hunt the loss of life penalty. A federal grand jury in Manhattan returned the four-count indictment in opposition to Mangione final week.
It features a cost of homicide by use of a firearm, which carries the potential of the loss of life penalty. The indictment, which mirrors a legal criticism introduced after Mangione’s arrest final December, additionally costs him with stalking and a gun offense.
Mangione’s legal professionals have argued that U.S. Lawyer Normal Pam Bondi’s announcement this month ordering prosecutors to hunt the loss of life penalty was a “political stunt” that corrupted the grand jury course of and disadvantaged him of his constitutional proper to due course of.
Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate from a distinguished Maryland actual property household, faces separate federal and state homicide costs after authorities mentioned he gunned down Thompson, 50, exterior a Manhattan lodge on Dec. 4 as the chief arrived for UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor convention.
Surveillance video confirmed a masked gunman capturing Thompson from behind. Police say the phrases “delay,” “deny” and “depose” had been scrawled on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase generally used to explain how insurers keep away from paying claims.
The killing and ensuing five-day search resulting in Mangione’s arrest rattled the enterprise group, with some well being insurers deleting images of executives from their web sites and switching to on-line shareholder conferences. On the identical time, some medical insurance critics have rallied round Mangione as a stand-in for frustrations over protection denials and hefty medical payments.