US Attorney General Pamela Bondi directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the man accused of shooting and killing UnitedHealth Group Chief Executive Brian Thompson in New York last year.
Lawyers for Mangione did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to New York state charges of murder as an act of terrorism and weapons offenses. He could face life in prison without parole if convicted in that case. New York does not have the death penalty for state charges.
Mangione faces a parallel federal indictment over Thompson’s killing. He could face the death penalty if convicted in that case. He has not yet been asked to enter a plea to the federal charges.
