Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old former Ivy Leaguer, is facing increasing legal troubles as state and federal prosecutors continue to up the charges against him and reveal new evidence in connection with the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
A new federal criminal complaint alleges that Mangione kept a journal in which he outlined the deadly plot, mused about choosing a victim, and patted himself on the back for continuing to research the target. The complaint also accuses Mangione of using social engineering techniques to obtain information about the victim and using a fake ID to check into a Manhattan hostel.
Mangione allegedly wrote about wanting to “wack” an insurance CEO and that he was “glad – in a way – that I’ve procrastinated, [because] it allowed me to learn more about UHC.” He allegedly chose to target the insurance industry because “it checks every box.”
On the day of the murder, Mangione allegedly left the hostel carrying a gray backpack and riding an electric bike around 5:35 a.m. Police used multiple surveillance cameras to track his route from the Upper West Side to the Midtown Hilton. At around 6:45 a.m., Thompson arrived outside the hotel, and Mangione allegedly gunned him down from behind.
The federal charges include two counts of stalking, travel in interstate commerce and use of interstate facilities, murder through use of a firearm and a federal firearms offense. If convicted, Mangione could face the death penalty.
Mangione’s defense team has argued that New York’s first-degree murder charge, which includes an allegation of terrorism, is an overreach, and that the federal charges go even further. They are ready to fight the charges in whatever court they are brought.
The investigation has also revealed that Mangione used a fake ID to check into a Manhattan hostel and that he consistently kept his mask on while inside the hostel. Surveillance video shows a gunman step out from between two parked cars, walk up behind Thompson, and shoot him from behind.
The murder has sparked widespread outrage and condemnation, with authorities in New York and Pennsylvania calling for an end to online support for Mangione. Mangione’s lawyers have declined to comment on the case.