Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is currently sharing the same Brooklyn jail as Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced FTX founder whose crypto empire dramatically collapsed in 2022.
Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in the dissolution of FTX, once the third-largest crypto exchange in the world. Prosecutors characterized his actions as part of “one of the largest financial frauds in history.”
“The FBI will aggressively investigate individuals, like Samuel Bankman-Fried, who engage in fraudulent schemes at the expense of the American public and our financial systems,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray.
Meanwhile, public interest in Mangione has only grown since his identification. Earlier this month, a meme coin in honor of Mangione catapulted to a value of $77 million , a striking reflection of public support for the alleged killer. According to the most recent data , the market capitalization of the Luigi’s meme coin has already reached more than $3.8 million, with the last 24 hours seeing growth of almost a single percentage point. Meme coins often mirror the public mood around major political or economic events, and Mangione’s case appears to be no exception.
Earlier this week, Mangione was charged by both state and federal prosecutors for his alleged role in the death of Thompson. He faces charges of first-degree murder, terrorism, second-degree murder, and weapons and firearms crimes, along with stalking. While the maximum punishment under New York state would be life without parole, the federal charges alone have the potential to lead to the death penalty.