What’s New
Luigi Mangione on Thursday was charged in New York City with four federal crimes including murder through the use of a firearm in the December 4 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the Southern District of New York Dominic A. Gentile, Jun Xiang and Alexandra Messiter would be prosecuting the federal case.
Newsweek reached out for comment to Mangione’s defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo via email on Thursday night.
Why It Matters
Mangione’s federal counts are in addition to New York state charges of murder in the first degree, intentional murder in the second degree and murder in the second degree as an act of terrorism. He also faces gun and forgery charges in Pennsylvania.
A conviction on the federal charge of murder would make Mangione eligible for the death penalty.
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What To Know
Mangione’s federal charges are as follows: one count of using a firearm to commit murder; one count of interstate stalking resulting in death; one count of stalking through use of interstate facilities resulting in death; and one count of discharging a firearm that was equipped with a silencer in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The murder charge carries a maximum sentence of death, while the three other counts carry maximum sentences of life in prison. A DOJ press release notes that “a federal district court judge will determine any sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.”
Who are Dominic Gentile, Jun Xiang and Alexandra Messiter?
Gentile, Xiang and Messiter all bring years of legal experience to the Mangione case, although few personal details about the prosecutors were publicly available at the time of publication.
Messiter was sworn into office last year after working at the private firm Krieger Kim & Lewin LLP. Gentile and Xiang worked together to secure the conviction earlier this year of a man responsible for a 2021 New York City killing. All three prosecutors have worked on murder cases.
What People Are Saying
Gentile, Xiang and Messiter work under acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Edward Y. Kim, who said in a statement on Thursday that his office and “law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to fight violence in whatever form it takes.”
“As alleged, Luigi Mangione traveled to New York to stalk and shoot Thompson in broad daylight in front of a Manhattan hotel, all in a grossly misguided attempt to broadcast Mangione’s views across the country,” Kim said. “But this wasn’t a debate, it was murder, and Mangione now faces federal charges.”
What Happens Next
Mangione is expected to stand trial on the New York state murder charges before the federal counts, although the exact timeline has yet to be determined.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg told reporters on Thursday that his office was having “conversations with our law enforcement partners” concerning the “parallel” federal case.
