Mangione's lawyer says reports of federal charges raise 'serious concerns'
As we've mentioned earlier, alongside the state murder indictment against Luigi Mangione in New York, the shooting suspect is also expected to
face a federal charge.
In a statement obtained by WCBS, a subsidiary of the BBC's US partner CBS News, Karen Friedman Agnifilo says 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."
NY prosecutors turn to 9/11-era terrorism law to charge Mangione
Prosecutors in New York are using a little-known, decades-old anti-terrorism law in their case against Luigi Mangione, which could potentially mean a harsher sentence if he is convicted.
The charges, known as murder as an act of terrorism, apply when a crime is committed "with intent to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policy of a unit of government by intimidation or coercion or affect the conduct of a unit of government by murder, assassination or kidnapping”.
If convicted, the terrorism designation automatically means a harsher sentence.
As an example, the Associated Press noted that an assault, normally punishable by up to 25 years' imprisonment, would carry a potential life sentence.
According to New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Mangione's "intent was to sow terror" by gunning down Brian Thompson in a busy part of Manhattan on a weekday morning.
New York officials have also cited the anti-corporate message of Mangione's writings as warranting the terrorism designation.

free my boy!