Luigi Mangione has been formally indicted in New York for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, with charges upgraded to first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism, Manhattan prosecutors announced on Tuesday.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch revealed the indictment, which also includes additional charges: two counts of second-degree murder (one as an act of terrorism), multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon in varying degrees, and criminal possession of a forged instrument.
“The slaying in the heart of Midtown Manhattan was intended to evoke terror,” Bragg said during a press briefing. “This was a frightening, well-planned, targeted murder. This type of premeditated violence will not be tolerated. My office is committed to bringing the defendant to justice.”
Mangione, if convicted, faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment without parole.
The charges come as Mangione is expected to waive extradition during a court appearance in Pennsylvania on Thursday, according to sources. He was apprehended at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 9, nearly a week after the attack.
In Pennsylvania, Mangione is also charged with possessing an untraceable ghost gun.
Mangione has retained Karen Friedman Agnifilo as his attorney for the New York case. Agnifilo is a former deputy of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office with 25 years of experience.
His first New York court appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday.