Luigi Mangione is scheduled to appear in a New York courtroom on Monday for his arraignment regarding state murder charges in the death of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, Brian Thompson.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s office stated that they are working with federal authorities, who are currently holding the 26-year-old suspect in a detention center in Brooklyn. The exact time for the arraignment has not yet been announced.

Mangione was originally set to be arraigned on state charges on Thursday, but the hearing was delayed when federal authorities revealed that they were also pursuing charges against him. He was then taken to a federal courthouse, catching his defense team off-guard.

“In over three decades of handling criminal cases in New York, I have never experienced anything like this situation,” said Mangione’s lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, in court, labeling the situation “very confusing and highly unusual.”

Authorities have accused Mangione of deliberately shooting Thompson in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, describing it as a premeditated and targeted attack. A manhunt that lasted nearly a week concluded in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where Mangione was arrested after being spotted at a McDonald’s. He was found with the same fake ID that the shooter used to check into a hostel in New York and a “ghost gun” that police said matched bullets recovered from the scene of Thompson’s murder.

The District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, stated in a news conference, “The crime represented a deliberate killing intended to instigate terror.”

What charges is Mangione facing?

Mangione is facing several charges across federal, Pennsylvania state, and New York state courts.

In New York, a grand jury has indicted him on first-degree murder with terrorism intent, two counts of second-degree murder (one also linked to terrorism), and multiple weapons charges.

In New York, first-degree murder is typically reserved for cases with specific aggravating circumstances, including acts of terrorism. Terrorism is defined as actions intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence government policy through intimidation or coercion, or impact government operations via murder, assassination, or kidnapping.

In Pennsylvania, Mangione has been charged with forgery and the illegal possession of an unlicensed firearm.

Additionally, federal authorities have unsealed a complaint against Mangione that includes four separate charges: murder with a firearm, two counts of interstate stalking, and a firearms charge.

Federal charges could lead to the death penalty

While the death penalty has been abolished in New York state, the federal charges could result in a death sentence if Mangione is convicted. The murder charge using a firearm carries a potential penalty of death or life imprisonment, while the other federal charges also have maximum sentences of life in prison, and the firearms charge includes a mandatory minimum of 30 years.

Notebook indicates Mangione’s intent, claim feds

According to authorities, a handwritten notebook found with Mangione at the time of his arrest reveals that he had been planning a targeted attack for several months. FBI Special Agent Gary Cobb noted this in the federal complaint.

On one page dated “8/15,” Mangione wrote that “everything is finally coming together,” according to Cobb. Full entries from the notebook were not included in the complaint. Another excerpt mentioned, “I’m somewhat glad for my procrastination, as it allowed me to learn more about (Company-1).”

In the same entry, he stated that “the target is insurance” as it “checks every box.” He made a note in a later entry marked “10/22” expressing an intention to “wack” an insurance CEO.

Remembering Brian Thompson

“He was the smartest person I knew, if not the smartest person in the room,” recalled his childhood friend, Taylor Hill. “He was likely smarter than half our teachers, and they were aware of it too.”

Thompson, 50, grew up on a farm near Jewell, Iowa, and graduated from South Hamilton High School in 1993. He then attended the University of Iowa and joined UnitedHealthcare in 2004, where he advanced to become the CEO of the Minneapolis-based health insurance giant in April 2021.

Throughout his career, he held numerous leadership roles at UnitedHealthcare, most recently serving as the chief executive officer for government programs, which included managing the company’s Medicare services and state health initiatives.

UnitedHealth Group, the parent organization of UnitedHealthcare, issued a statement highlighting Thompson as a highly valued colleague and friend to everyone who worked with him.

What’s next in the case?

Officials have indicated that the state trial is expected to take place before the federal proceedings.

“I’ll allow the Southern District of New York to outline their plans; however, I want to mention that we often have state and federal prosecutions running concurrently, and we are in discussions with our law enforcement partners,” said Bragg, the Manhattan DA, last Thursday.

Mangione is expected to be in New York State Supreme Court on Monday for his arraignment, with a preliminary hearing for the federal case planned for January.