Mangione, the suspect in the murder of a UnitedHealth executive, has been taken into the custody of the NYPD

After he waived his right to extradition proceedings in a Pennsylvania court hearing, Brian Thompson, the suspect in the death of UnitedHealth Group (UNH.N), opens new tab executive, was taken into the custody of the New York Police Department on Thursday to face murder charges.

At the brief hearing, Luigi Mangione, 26, who was wearing an orange jail jumpsuit, agreed to turn himself in to the New York police officers present at the Blair County courthouse. He was anticipated in Manhattan later Thursday after leaving the courthouse in a New York police car.

Mangione was indicted on 11 counts by a New York grand jury, including first-degree murder and murder as an act of terrorism. Since his arrest, Mangione has been incarcerated. Mangione hasn’t made a plea yet. Karen Friedman Agnifilo, his defense attorney in New York, has stated that Mangione has been “overcharged” and that he will contest the charges in court.

Five days after Thompson was shot dead outside a Manhattan hotel prior to a business conference in what law enforcement officials have described as a premeditated assassination, he was taken into custody in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9.

Although Thompson’s murder has received widespread condemnation, some Americans have hailed Mangione as a folk hero in protest of the exorbitant expenses of healthcare and the ability of insurance companies to refuse to cover certain medical procedures. Outside the courthouse, a small group of supporters stood, some of them holding signs denouncing the health insurance sector.

According to unnamed persons familiar with the situation, the New York Times said late on Wednesday that Mangione would also be charged by federal prosecutors in Manhattan. The nature of such charges was unclear at first.

According to the report, federal charges may enable prosecutors to seek the death penalty, which has been prohibited in New York for many years. A Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office representative refused to comment.

In a statement, Mangione’s attorney Friedman Agnifilo stated, “The federal government’s reported decision to pile on top of an already overcharged first-degree murder and state terror case is highly unusual and raises serious constitutional and statutory double jeopardy concerns.” “We are ready to fight these charges in whatever court they are brought.”

When Mangione was apprehended in Pennsylvania after being seen at a McDonald’s restaurant, authorities claimed he had a homemade silencer and a self-assembled 9mm handgun in his backpack. The firearm was similar to the one that killed Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the biggest health insurance company in the United States.

According to authorities, Mangione, a Maryland native who had previously resided in Hawaii, reportedly possessed several forged identification documents, including one from New Jersey that was used to check into a hostel in Manhattan just days prior to Thompson’s shooting.

Mangione has been accused of forgery and unlawfully having an unregistered firearm in Pennsylvania.

A second hearing on New York’s request for extradition was held at the courthouse on Thursday, right after Mangione’s preliminary hearing on the Pennsylvania charges. The court was informed by the Pennsylvania prosecutors that they had reached an agreement to put the Pennsylvania proceedings on hold until the New York case was finished.

During the brief extradition hearing, Mangione informed Judge David Consiglio that he was aware of his rights and that he gave his permission to turn himself in to New York police.

According to New York law, Mangione is being charged by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office with terrorism since Thompson’s murder was meant to “influence the policies of a unit of government” or to threaten or force people.

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