Luigi Mangione waives extradition to New York on federal murder charge – NBC New York

The suspect accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare’s CEO on a Manhattan street has waived extradition to New York and has been transported back to New York City.

Luigi Mangione’s decision Thursday to waive his extradition from Pennsylvania paved the way for his return.

Federal prosecutors also filed a federal complaint against Mangione on Thursday, charging him with murder by use of a firearm, two counts of stalking and a weapons offense.

Mangione appeared in federal court in Manhattan for an afternoon hearing where a judge ordered him detained.

“Today, the Department of Justice filed federal murder charges against Luigi Mangione,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “As alleged, Mangione planned his attack for months and stalked his victim for days before murdering him – methodically planning when, where and how to carry out his crime. I am grateful to our state and local law enforcement partners for their tireless efforts to locate and apprehend the accused and ensure that he answers for his alleged crime.”

In federal court Thursday, Mangione moved his head but was otherwise unresponsive as the judge read the portion of the complaint accusing him of killing Thompson.

His attorney said handling both state and federal cases puts the defense in a very unusual position. “Honestly, I’ve never seen anything like what’s happening here,” said Karen Friedman Agnifilo.

Outside court after the appearance, Agnifilo declined to comment.

“We will respectfully decline to comment at this time. Mr. Mangione appreciates everyone’s support,” she said.

Mangione started the day by attending the arraignment early Thursday morning at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania with his attorney Thomas Dickey. A preliminary hearing on local gun charges that was scheduled to take place before the extradition hearing was postponed.

Blair County, Pennsylvania, District Attorney Pete Weeks has said he was willing to put charges in Pennsylvania on hold while New York authorities prosecute Mangione for the Dec. 4 killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO. Brian Thompson. Mangione is charged with murder as an act of terrorism in New York.

Mangione was asked during the hearing if he understood what he was doing by waiving extradition, to which he replied “yes.” He then signed papers agreeing to his transfer to New York custody.

Twelve NYPD officers sat in court in the front row of the hearing.

Mangione was then taken by fixed-wing plane to MacArthur Airport on Long Island and from there was taken to a New York City helipad by NYPD helicopter for an appearance before a federal judge.

Luigi Mangione, who faces state and federal charges stemming from the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, arrived back in New York City on Thursday after waiving his extradition hearing from Pennsylvania.

Mangione is accused of giving police in Pennsylvania a false New Jersey identification and carrying a gun and silencer in her bag.

In one lawsuit Last week, Mangione’s defense attorney Tom Dickey argued that prosecutors had not shown there is sufficient evidence to hold Mangione, that he was in New York when Thompson was killed, or that he is a fugitive from justice.

Mangione, 26, of Towson, Maryland, was arrested on 9 Dec when police were called to a McDonald’s restaurant on a commercial strip in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after he was reported to match the description of Thompson’s killer.

Thompson was gunned down in the street as he walked to the hotel where his company in Minnesota was holding an investor conference. The shooting was caught on security video, but the suspect eluded police before Mangione was caught about 277 miles (446 kilometers) west of New York.

Authorities say Mangione was carrying the gun used to kill Thompson, a passport, a fake ID and about $10,000 in US and foreign currency. His attorney, Dickey, has questioned the evidence on the forgery charge and the legal basis for a weapons charge. He had previously indicated that Mangione would fight extradition to New York while being held in a penitentiary in the state of Pennsylvania.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was prepared to file a gubernatorial order to order Mangione brought to New York in cooperation with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro if Mangione did not waive his extradition.

From now on, the Manhattan District Attorney’s charges against Luigi Mangione will take priority, and any possible future federal charges or indictments will be second in the prosecution order.

Mangione, an Ivy League-educated computer scientist from a prominent family, carried a handwritten letter calling health insurance companies “parasites” and complaining about corporate greed, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Associated Press last week.

Outside the Criminal Courts Building in Manhattan, some protesters could be seen holding signs aimed at the health insurance industry.

Earlier, Mayor Eric Adams condemned the support for Mangione and any apparent support for this alleged crime.

“We’re not using a gun and somebody celebrating that, it’s disgusting and it sends the wrong message and you’ve celebrated using violence to solve a problem,” Adams said.