Luigi Mangione: UnitedHealthcare CEO’s suspected killer faces federal charges after waiving extradition

Ahead of an extradition hearing in Pennsylvania on Thursday, Luigi Mangione’s lawyer has said the 26-year-old will waive his right.

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Prosecutors announced on Tuesday that Luigi Mangione had been charged with murder “as an act of terrorism.”

A New York law passed after the September 11 attacks allows prosecutors to charge crimes as acts of terrorism when they're “intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policies of a unit of government by intimidation or coercion and affect the conduct of a unit of government by murder, assassination or kidnapping.”

Prosecutors have applied the statute to various contexts. Some related to international extremism, but the law was first used against a Bronx gang member after a hail of gunfire killed a 10-year-old girl and paralyzed a man outside a christening party in 2002. The state's highest court later said the conduct didn’t amount to terrorism, and a retrial produced convictions on other charges.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg noted that the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson happened early on a workday in an area frequented by commuters, businesspeople and tourists.

“This was a frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation,” the district attorney said.

Luigi Mangione is appearing in court this morning in Pennsylvania for two hearings – one for his firearms charge in the state and the other for his extradition to New York where he was charged with first and second-degree murder.

Mangione, who has been held in Pennsylvania since being arrested, is not expected to fight extradition to New York.

Mangione’s first hearing, on gun charge in Pennsylvania, has concluded, according to CNN.

He will now face his second hearing, on extradition to New York.

Law enforcement officials told CNN that Mangione could be flown from Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania to an airport tin the New York City area directly after his extradition hearing.

The extradition hearing appears to be over.

Luigi Mangione has formally waived his right to an extradition hearing, after being charged with murder over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

He will now return to New York to face murder charges and could be arraigned as early as this afternoon.

CNN reports that Mangione did not speak except for yes or no answers when directly addressed by the judge.

When the judge asked whether he wished to waive extradition, Mangione’s Pennsylvania lawyer Thomas Dickey turned to Mangione and asked, “That’s what you want to do?” Mangione replied, “Yes.”