Luigi Mangione, the Towson man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December, will attend future Pennsylvania court hearings remotely while he remains in federal custody.
Mangione is being held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center while he awaits trial. His next appearance in New York state court is scheduled for Feb. 21.
Mangione’s Pennsylvania-based attorney Thomas Dickey asked the court to allow remote appearances. The court agreed on Tuesday.
“The federal authorities will make the Defendant available to participate remotely in Blair County proceedings, Attorney Dickey will consult with his client and file a certification within thirty (30) days, stating the Defendant’s position on remote attendance at any future court events,” the court filing said. “In doing so, Attorney Dickey shall specify the types and nature of the proceedings, if any which the Defendant agrees to attend remotely.”
Dickey could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
Mangione is accused of shooting Thompson outside a New York City hotel on Dec. 4 as he headed to UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor meeting.
He was later arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, with a gun suspected of being linked to three shell casings discovered at the crime scene. Investigators said his fingerprints matched those investigators found on a water bottle and snack bar wrapper.
Mangione faces federal and New York state charges in connection with Thompson’s death. He was charged with multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism.
Mangione has 11 New York state charges, including first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism.
Federal charges against him include two counts of stalking and one count each of murder through the use of a firearm, which carries the possibility of the death penalty, and one count of discharging a firearm that was equipped with a silencer in “furtherance of a crime of violence, which carries a maximum potential sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years,” according to U.S. Attorneys in the Southern District of New York.
In addition, he has been charged with gun and forgery offenses in Pennsylvania. He was held in Pennsylvania until Dec. 19 when he was extradited from the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg to New York to face the most serious offenses.
Mangione’s next court date in Pennsylvania will be determined later.
He is accused of carefully planning Thompson’s murder — traveling to New York to find him, carrying a gun with a silencer to carry out the killing and developing a document that chronicled his disdain for the insurance industry, which law enforcement said they found on him at the time of his arrest.
While he’s been in prison, Mangione has gained a following among those also disillusioned by the insurance industry.
Mangione has reportedly accepted almost $300,000 to support his criminal defense, according to a fundraiser on GiveSendGo, which is raising funds to help him pay for his legal defense. There is also an array of online merchandise centered around Mangione, who has received support from fans worldwide.
Mangione on Saturday also made his first public comments, which were posted on a website titled Luigi Mangione Legal Defense Information that was created by his defense team. It provides information, updates and statements about the case.
“I am overwhelmed by — and grateful for — everyone who has written to me to share their stories and express their support,” Mangione wrote in a message on the website. “Powerfully, this support has transcended political, racial, and even class divisions, as mail has flooded MDC from across the country, and around the globe. While it is impossible for me to reply to most letters, please know that I read every one that I receive. Thank you again to everyone who took the time to write. I look forward to hearing more in the future.”
Mangione’s attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo, a former chief assistant district attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, could not be reached for comment.
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