A federal grand jury has indicted Luigi Mangione, accused of killing United Health Group executive Brian Thompson in New York last year, enabling prosecutors to pursue the death penalty, according to filings released Thursday. 

Mangione, 26, already faces state murder and weapons charges, though New York does not allow capital punishment. The federal indictment doesn’t add new charges but increases the legal stakes. A hearing is set for Friday in Manhattan federal court.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers have urged the judge to block the death penalty, calling U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s April 1 announcement politically motivated and in violation of established protocols. If the court rejects that request and Mangione is convicted, a separate trial phase would decide whether to impose the death penalty, requiring a unanimous jury recommendation.

Thompson was fatally shot on December 4 outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel during a UnitedHealth investor conference. The high-profile murder and five-day manhunt drew national attention. While many condemned the killing, some praised Mangione for spotlighting issues in the U.S. healthcare system.

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