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Luigi Mangione allegedly has $40,000 in his prison commissary thanks to donations from his fans and supporters, according to a new report.
Mangione, 27, is accused of the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024, in an ambush outside a Manhattan hotel. After a five-day manhunt, Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
He faces a federal murder charge, two counts of stalking and a firearms offense along with state charges in New York and Pennsylvania. He was previously charged with terrorism in New York but that charge has since been dropped. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Mangione was allegedly driven by anger at the U.S. healthcare industry and more broadly by “corporate greed,” according to an NYPD intelligence report obtained by CNN. The bullet casings found after the shooting reportedly had the words “deny,” “delay,” and “depose” written on them, referencing an alleged tactic used by insurance companies to deny claims.
Mangione saw a swell of support from Americans across the political spectrum who had similar disdain for the U.S. healthcare system. In the wake of the shooting, UnitedHealthcare admitted that the industry was “flawed” and Senator Bernie Sanders pointed to Mangione’s support as clear evidence that Americans are fed up with the current healthcare model. His support has been so notable — including from women who find him handsome — that it was parodied on Saturday Night Live.
He is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, where celebrity gossip site TMZ claims he is flush with cash thanks to fans. The report is based on a source recently released from the prison. The Independent has contacted the federal Bureau of Prisons for comment.
Inmates and suspects awaiting trial are provided basic meals, paid for by the state or federal government, but they can also buy additional items with their own money at the prison commissary.
The items available include things like Nutella hazelnut spread — which costs about $5 — oatmeal for $3.65, and Velveeta cheese blocks for around $3.70.
Even if Mangione does have $40,000 in his commissary account, he can't buy Velveeta cheese blocks for the whole prison as there's a $160 cap for each visit to the commissary.
Typically, an individual's family would contribute funds to their account for commissary purchases, but in Mangione's case, he's allegedly got fans keeping him well fed.
His fans are sending more than just cash to MDC. Earlier this year, Mangione asked his supporters, via his lawyers, to stop sending him books due to federal prison regulations.
"He is very appreciative, but kindly asks that people temporarily refrain from sending more books. The number of books he can possess at any given time is limited," Mangione's lawyers wrote on his legal defense website.
Under Bureau of Prisons policy, inmates can only have five books at a time, one photo album or scrapbook, and 25 single-sided photos.
In the same February announcement, Mangione's lawyers asked supporters to limit the number of photos they send to five at a time. In addition to the limit, each one has to be reviewed by law enforcement before it reaches him.
The attorneys also warned that while Mangione tries to respond to the letters he receives, the sheer number of incoming letters means that any response he gives may take some time.
"Due to the volume of mail, letters could take longer than usual to be screened and delivered," they said at the time.
His supporters have also given to his legal defense fund via GiveSendGo, raising more than $1.3 million.
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