Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old man accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, pleaded not guilty to state charges of murder and terrorism on Monday.

Mangione also faces federal charges of stalking and murder, which makes him eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors said that the state and federal cases will move forward on parallel tracks, the Associated Press reported.

Last week, Mangione waived his extradition after initially signaling he would fight it while remaining in a Pennsylvania prison. Mangione opted to waive his extradition after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced last Tuesday that the 26-year-old Ivy League graduate is being charged with first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism and two second-degree murder counts, one of which is charged as a killing in the act of terrorism.

Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, argued before the judge that New York officials, such as NYC Mayor Eric Adams, have taken away her client’s right to a fair trial by using him for political purposes.

“This is a young man. He is being treated like a human ping-pong ball between warring jurisdictions here,” Agnifilo said.

State trial court Judge Gregory Carro assured that Mangione would receive a fair trial, adding, “We will carefully select a jury,” CNN reported. Mangione faces a total of 11 counts in New York, which includes his first- and second-degree murder charges along with weapons and forgery charges.

Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9 after a customer reportedly recognized him from “person of interest” pictures posted by the NYPD. The UnitedHealthcare CEO was gunned down on the morning of December 4 as he was walking to the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan for his company’s Investor’s Conference. The masked assassin was caught on video fleeing the scene of the shooting on foot before getting on a bike.

After arresting Mangione in Pennsylvania, authorities recovered a notebook allegedly belonging to him that includes a passage where the writer mentions taking out “the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention.” Mangione also allegedly had a manifesto on him that accused UnitedHealthcare of prioritizing profit over patients.

CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Bragg claims that Mangione “intended to evoke terror” with his alleged murder of Thompson, adding that the killing of Thompson “was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation.”

Mangione has gained a following among some Americans. Around 100 supporters of Mangione gathered outside the courthouse in Pennsylvania last week, some of whom held signs that read “Free Luigi,” “Private Healthcare Is A Crime Against Humanity,” and “Deny, Defend, Depose,” a phrase that echoes the words written on shell casings found at the sight of Thompson’s assassination.

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Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old man accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, pleaded not guilty to state charges of murder and terrorism on Monday.

Mangione also faces federal charges of stalking and murder, which makes him eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors said that the state and federal cases will move forward on parallel tracks, the Associated Press reported.

Last week, Mangione waived his extradition after initially signaling he would fight it while remaining in a Pennsylvania prison. Mangione opted to waive his extradition after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced last Tuesday that the 26-year-old Ivy League graduate is being charged with first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism and two second-degree murder counts, one of which is charged as a killing in the act of terrorism.

Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, argued before the judge that New York officials, such as NYC Mayor Eric Adams, have taken away her client’s right to a fair trial by using him for political purposes.

“This is a young man. He is being treated like a human ping-pong ball between warring jurisdictions here,” Agnifilo said.

State trial court Judge Gregory Carro assured that Mangione would receive a fair trial, adding, “We will carefully select a jury,” CNN reported. Mangione faces a total of 11 counts in New York, which includes his first- and second-degree murder charges along with weapons and forgery charges.

Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9 after a customer reportedly recognized him from “person of interest” pictures posted by the NYPD. The UnitedHealthcare CEO was gunned down on the morning of December 4 as he was walking to the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan for his company’s Investor’s Conference. The masked assassin was caught on video fleeing the scene of the shooting on foot before getting on a bike.

After arresting Mangione in Pennsylvania, authorities recovered a notebook allegedly belonging to him that includes a passage where the writer mentions taking out “the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention.” Mangione also allegedly had a manifesto on him that accused UnitedHealthcare of prioritizing profit over patients.

CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Bragg claims that Mangione “intended to evoke terror” with his alleged murder of Thompson, adding that the killing of Thompson “was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation.”

Mangione has gained a following among some Americans. Around 100 supporters of Mangione gathered outside the courthouse in Pennsylvania last week, some of whom held signs that read “Free Luigi,” “Private Healthcare Is A Crime Against Humanity,” and “Deny, Defend, Depose,” a phrase that echoes the words written on shell casings found at the sight of Thompson’s assassination.

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