The suspect in the murder of the CEO of the insurance company "UnitedHealthcare", Luigi Manggione, has also been charged with the federal crime of murder and stalking, court documents show. The charges are in addition to an existing indictment filed by district attorneys in Manhattan, which charges him with murder and terrorism.
Federal prosecutors are charging Manggione with several counts: federal felony murder with a firearm, stalking, illegal possession of a gun silencer, documents show. Prosecutors believe that he planned the attack for months, and that the motive was contempt for the health insurance industry and wealthy company executives.
The federal charges against Mangione mean that prosecutors can seek the death penalty - which has not been used in New York for decades.
Court documents on the federal charges also show that when Manggione was arrested, police found a notebook with several handwritten pages in which he expressed hostility toward the health insurance industry and wealthy executives.
Luigi Mangione was flown to New York on Thursday after he waived his request not to be extradited from Pennsylvania, where he was arrested after five days on the run.
He was brought before a federal judge where he was presented with his rights as a defendant. He nodded when the judge said he had the right to a lawyer at the next hearing.
When asked if he understood which rights, Manđone leaned towards the microphone and briefly answered "yes".
The hearing lasted only 15 minutes. Manggione has not applied for bail and remains in custody.
Earlier this week, a New York grand jury indicted Mangione on 11 counts -- including first-degree murder and murder as an act of terrorism.
His New York attorney, Karen Friedman Anjifilo, said the charges against Mangione are excessive and that she will fight in court.
"The alleged decision of the federal authorities, for all of which Mangione has already been accused of, is extremely unusual and raises many questions about the constitutionality. We will fight against all accusations in court," said Mangione's lawyer.
He was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania on December 9, five days after he shot a health insurance executive, Brian Thompson, outside a Manhattan hotel. The authorities assessed this as a premeditated murder.
Although Thomson's killing has been condemned, Mangione has been hailed as a hero by some Americans, who are unhappy about the high cost of health care and because insurance companies often refuse to cover their medical expenses.
Police in Pennsylvania, who arrested Mangione, found a weapon similar to the one used to kill Thomson.
Mangione, who was born in Maryland and lived in Hawaii, also had multiple false identification documents, including a fake New Jersey ID that was used to check into a Manhattan hostel days before the murder, police said.
In Pennsylvania, Mangione was charged with forgery and unlawful possession of a weapon without a license.
Before being transferred to New York, Mangione had a brief hearing in a court in Pennsylvania. He only said he understood his rights and agreed to turn himself in to the NYPD.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office is charging Mangione with an act of terrorism because, they say, Thomson's killing was intended to intimidate or coerce civilians, or to influence government policy.
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