People continue to donate to a GiveSendGo fundraiser for Luigi Mangione’s legal fees after the company detected and refunded fraudulent donations.
Newsweek has contacted Mangione’s attorneys by email for comment.
Why It Matters
Mangione is facing a slew of state and federal charges, including murder, for allegedly shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City on December 4.
Where is Luigi Mangione now?
Mangione is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn — the same jail where Sean “Diddy” Combs is awaiting his sex trafficking trial.
What To Know
The popular GiveSendGo fundraiser was created shortly after Mangione’s December 9th arrest by the December 4 Legal Committee, a team of 15 volunteers from around the country.
With the original goal of $200,000, over 1,700 donors contributed more than $50,000 by December 12.
How much money has been raised for Luigi Mangione?
At the time of publication, the GiveSendGo fundraiser for Mangione has raised over $227,600 towards its $500,000 goal.
This comes after GiveSendGo had to refund $7,000 in fraudulent donations earlier this month after further review of the contributions. On January 6, people donated over $223,800 to the fund.
“Fraudulent donations often originate from activities like ‘card testing,’ where stolen card information is used to make small transactions to verify its validity before being used elsewhere for larger unauthorized purchases,” a GiveSendGo spokesperson told Newsweek in an email on January 16.
“While these donations may initially appear legitimate, passing our first review, they are often flagged during subsequent reviews,” the spokesperson added.
Who is Luigi Mangione’s attorney?
Karen Friedman Agnifilo of Agnifilo Intrater LLP is representing Mangione in New York.
The former chief prosecutor at the Manhattan District Attorney’s office is also the wife of Marc Agnifilo, the attorney representing Sean “Diddy” Combs in his sex trafficking case.
What is the Luigi Mangione Turtle Suit Theory?
Online speculation about Mangione’s safety in prison has arisen after fellow inmate Vaughn Wright wrote in an online essay that Mangione was wearing an anti-suicide smock, called a turtle suit, instead of a standard uniform.
Social media users are theorizing that he may be in danger and that his death could be staged as a suicide. These conspiracy theories are similar to those surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s death in 2019.
What People Are Saying
GiveSendGo organizers in a January 26 update: “In recent weeks, we have seen even more news stories try to demonize Luigi and his supporters. But strong support for Luigi continues. Legal battles are long, and it’s critical that we keep up energy and solidarity as Luigi sits waiting his day in court. Whatever the media says, it’s clear to all of us: it is the healthcare system that is on trial.”
Mangione’s lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo, previously said in court: “I am very concerned about my client’s right to a fair trial in this case. He is being prejudiced by some statements that are being made by government officials.”
Former federal prosecutor in California Neama Rahmani said in reference to the support for Mangione from a surprising number of people: “I’ve never seen an alleged murderer receive so much sympathy. To many people, Mangione is a hero of sorts.”
What Happens Next
Mangione’s next state court appearance is scheduled for February 21.
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