NBC News reported that Luigi Mangione, indicted in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was transported to New York on Thursday (Dec. 19) after waiving his right to an extradition hearing. The 26-year-old suspect appeared in a Blair County, Pennsylvania courthouse earlier that morning before being handed over to the New York City Police Department.

Hours later, Mangione arrived in Manhattan to face four federal charges – two counts of stalking, murder through use of a firearm, and a firearms offense. Prior to those charges being unsealed, the District Attorney’s office charged him with a range of crimes, including first-degree murder, acts of terrorism, and multiple weapons offenses. Judge Katharine H. Parker ordered that he remain detained until his next hearing in mid-January 2025.

Mangione’s transfer from Pennsylvania to New York involved a coordinated motorcade, which included an appearance from Mayor Eric Adams, and a brief flight to Long Island. Supporters, some of whom held signs reading “Free Luigi,” could be seen during the suspect’s journey. Following the proceedings, Blair County District Attorney Peter Weeks stated his office would keep its case active and await Mangione’s availability for prosecution.

Thompson was shot on Dec. 4 outside a Midtown hotel before he was scheduled to speak at a UnitedHealth Group investor conference. It was alleged that Mangione crossed state lines from Georgia to New York with the intent to harm and surveil the executive, using electronic communications, highways, and the internet to facilitate the killing.

On Dec. 9, Mangione, an Ivy League graduate, was apprehended at an Altoona, PA McDonald’s after a five-day manhunt. Authorities charged him with forgery, carrying a firearm without a license, and using fraudulent identification. A notebook that was reportedly recovered during the arrest contained handwritten entries expressing animosity toward the health insurance industry and wealthy executives.

His defense team, led by Thomas Dickey in Pennsylvania and Karen Friedman Agnifilo in New York, indicated that Mangione will plead not guilty. Agnifilo criticized the federal charges as “highly unusual” and suggested they raise “serious constitutional and statutory double jeopardy concerns.”