Category: National

(ALTOONA, Pa.) — The firearm found on the suspect in the murder of the UnitedHealthcare CEO is believed to have been an untraceable ghost gun, according to police.

Police have said they believe the gun was 3D printed, and that it had no serial number. The silencer may have been 3D printed as well, they said.

The ghost gun was discovered in suspect Luigi Mangione’s possession upon his arrest in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday. Police have not yet confirmed if it’s the same weapon used in Brian Thompson’s killing, but NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said it was “consistent with the weapon used in the murder.”

In a criminal complaint, Altoona Police Department officer said Mangione had “a black 3D-printed pistol and a black silencer,” which they described as having “a metal slide and a plastic handle with a metal threaded barrel.”

“The pistol had one loaded Glock magazine with six nine-millimeter full metal jacket rounds. There was also one loose nine-millimeter hollow point round,” the officers wrote. “The silencer was also 3D printed.”

Ghost guns, or privately made firearms without serial numbers, have surged in popularity in recent years. Due to the difficulty — or even impossibility — of tracing their origins, they can be an ideal weapon for those not legally permitted to own a gun, such as convicted felons or minors. Because of this, they are frequently the weapon of choice used in crimes.

Many ghost guns are homemade, typically 3D printed or assembled from kits that can be easily purchased online.

Due to their lack of serial numbers, it is impossible to know exactly how many exist, but thousands have been recovered from crime scenes in recent years.

About 45,240 suspected ghost guns were recovered from crime scenes between 2016 and 2021 — 692 of which were homicides or attempted homicides, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

In 2022, the Department of Justice said it had “recovered 25,785 ghost guns in domestic seizures, as well as 2,453 through international operations.”

Though ghost guns are legal in the U.S., in recent years, lawmakers have begun pushing for stronger legislation to curb the proliferation of these firearms.

In 2022, President Joe Biden announced new measures that would require gun kits to include serial numbers — a move that has been swept up in litigation ever since as manufacturers fight regulation.

According to gun control advocacy group Everytown — which has called ghost guns the “fastest-growing gun safety problem facing our country” — there are 15 states that currently have laws governing the use of these firearms.

Many of these states require ghost guns to have serial numbers, and for their owners to go through background checks. Some require owners to disclose their ghost guns to officials.

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(HOUSTON, Tex.) — A restaurant owned by NBA player James Harden in Houston, Texas, has been named in a wrongful death lawsuit filed this week.

The lawsuit, filed in Harris County District Court on Monday, alleges that the restaurant, Thirteen by James Harden, caused Christian Daniel Herrera’s intoxication and provided him with alcohol in excess that led to a fatal car accident.

Cassaundra Jackson, the mother of Taylar Jackson, one of the seven victims in the fatal accident in November 2023, filed the lawsuit alleging that the restaurant “had a statutory duty to refrain from providing alcohol to an obnoxiously intoxicated person,” according to court documents. She is seeking more than $1 million in damages, court documents show.

The restaurant allegedly served Herrera alcohol to the point where he became “obnoxiously intoxicated,” and became a danger to himself and others, the lawsuit claims.

According to the lawsuit, Herrera allegedly left the restaurant driving his vehicle, disregarded a red light and T-boned a vehicle, ultimately killing Taylar Jackson, 30, and six other victims, including 25-year-old Herrera.

The victims also include Izuchu Oragwu, 31; Frank Johnson, 31; Zachary McMillian, 32; NFL cornerback Derek Hayden, 33, and Lauren Robinson, 32, according to the Houston Police Department.

ABC News has reached out to lawyers for Cassaundra Jackson and Harden.

In a statement to Houston ABC station KTRK, the restaurant said: “We cannot imagine what the family of Taylar Jackson has gone through this past year and offer our deepest sympathies to them and everyone whose lives were deeply impacted by that tragic accident. We were just made aware of the filing of this lawsuit. We ask for your patience as we gather more information on this filing and will make a more formal statement as soon as possible.”

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(NEW YORK) — Luigi Mangione,  the man accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, yelled to the press about “an insult to the intelligence of the American people” as he was physically dragged into a Pennsylvania courthouse on Tuesday.

Mangione, who was shackled at the waist and ankles, was brought to court for an extradition hearing in connection with Thompson’s Dec. 4 slaying outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel.

Mangione, who was arrested in Pennsylvania on Monday and faces charges in New York including second-degree murder, is challenging his extradition. His defense was given 14 days to file a formal challenge.

At one point during Tuesday’s court appearance, Mangione tried to interject, while his attorney, Thomas Dickey, was attempting to convince the judge to release him on bail. He was discussing the $8,000 in U.S. currency and $2,000 in foreign currency Mangione was allegedly found with. Dickey instructed his client, “Don’t say a word.”

The judge ordered Mangione, 26, held without bail.

When Mangione was arrested on Monday, he had “written admissions about the crime” with him, according to the New York arrest warrant.

Mangione had several handwritten pages on him that expressed a “disdain for corporate America” and indicated “he’s frustrated with the health care system in the United States,” NYPD Chief of Detective Joe Kenny told ABC News’ “Good Morning America” on Tuesday.

Mangione’s writings, obtained by ABC News, addressed to the “Feds,” said, “I do apologize for any strife of traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming.”

He claimed that the U.S. has the most expensive health care system in the world, but ranks about No. 42 in life expectancy. He said UnitedHealthcare “has grown and grown, but as our life expectancy? No the reality is, these [indecipherable] have simply gotten too powerful, and they continue to abuse our country for immense profit.”

Mangione appears to have been inspired by the Unabomber, according to an NYPD intel analysis report obtained by ABC News.

The report warned that like Ted Kaczynski — whose 17-year bombing campaign killed three and injured 23 people — Mangione may become a “martyr” who inspires “a wide range of extremists” to act.

Mangione “appeared to view the targeted killing … as a symbolic takedown and a direct challenge to its alleged corruption and ‘power games,'” according to a confidential assessment of the crime by the NYPD intelligence bureau described to ABC News.

Whether Mangione has a personal connection to UnitedHealthcare is unknown, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

A UnitedHealth Group spokesperson said in a statement, “Our hope is that today’s apprehension brings some relief to Brian’s family, friends, colleagues and the many others affected by this unspeakable tragedy. We thank law enforcement and will continue to work with them on this investigation.”

Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday in connection with Thompson’s Dec. 4 slaying.

The NYPD was “thrilled” to get the call from Altoona police that they had a person of interest in custody, Tisch told “GMA.”

Kenny said “the key to this case” was releasing photos of the suspect’s face to the media and the public.

“That picture reached Pennsylvania,” where Mangione was recognized at a McDonald’s on Monday morning, Kenny said.

“We are grateful as a city to that person,” Tisch said.

“We had collected early in the investigation some forensic evidence, some DNA evidence, some fingerprints, so we were very confident that we were ultimately going to get to the right person,” Tisch added.

“We do have a lot of evidence in this case,” Tisch told “GMA.”

Mangione was apprehended “in possession of the same New Jersey fake identification that was used” to check into a hostel on New York’s Upper West Side before Thompson was gunned down, she said.

The gun Mangione was allegedly found with on Monday “looks very similar” to the gun used in the murder, “with a similar suppressor,” Tisch said. “So there’s a lot of reasons that we feel very strongly that he is the person of interest.”

Officers allegedly found a 3D printed pistol and a 3D printed silencer, according to the criminal complaint filed in Pennsylvania.

“The pistol had one loaded Glock magazine with six nine-millimeter full metal jack rounds. There was also one loose nine-millimeter hollow point round,” the complaint said.

Kenny described the weapon as a “ghost gun,” meaning it had no serial number and was untraceable.

Mangione, a Maryland native and Ivy League graduate, has been charged in New York with second-degree murder, possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of a weapon.

He was charged with five crimes in Pennsylvania, including carrying a gun without a license, forgery, falsely identifying himself to authorities and possessing “instruments of crime,” according to the criminal complaint.

Mangione’s family said in a statement that they’re “shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.”

The Pennsylvania State Police is asking for the public’s help piecing together Mangione’s travel in Pennsylvania. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-4PA-TIPS.

ABC News’ Peter Charalambous and Josh Margolin contributed to this report.

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WASHINGTON) —  Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, is set to head to Capitol Hill next week for meetings with multiple senators, Kennedy’s spokesperson says.

Kennedy transition spokesperson Katie Miller told ABC News that Kennedy will be on the Hill for four consecutive days for marathon meetings as Kennedy works to shore up support ahead of Senate confirmation hearings.

The meetings, which are typical before confirmation hearings, are planned for Dec. 16, 17, 18, and 19.

That includes a meeting on Dec. 19 with Republican staff of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, according to a separate person familiar with the plans.

Kennedy, a longtime environmental lawyer and vaccine skeptic, founded and has drawn a salary from the Children’s Health Defense, a prominent anti-vaccine nonprofit that has campaigned against immunizations and other public health measures like water fluoridation. Some medical experts have expressed concerns about Kennedy contributing to a rise in medical misinformation.

HHS oversees major federal health agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, among others.

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(PHILADELPHIA) — Family and friends reacted with shock and disbelief after Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, was identified as the suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Mangione was taken into custody at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania on Monday following a dayslong manhunt after an individual at the establishment thought he bore a resemblance to the suspect being sought in the fatal shooting of Thompson last week outside a hotel in Midtown Manhattan. He has since been charged in New York with second-degree murder in what police have said is a targeted, premeditated attack.

“Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.”

“We are devastated by this news,” the statement added.

The Gilman School, a private school in Baltimore from which Mangione graduated as valedictorian in 2016, said his “suspected involvement in this case is deeply distressing news on top of an already awful situation.”

“Our hearts go out to everyone affected. Here on campus, our focus will remain on caring for and educating our students,” the statement continued.

A classmate who graduated from Gilman with Mangione told ABC News that Mangione “is the last person I expected to be involved in something like this.”

“He always came off as a really good kid, very nice, very humble, open to talk to anyone,” the classmate said. “Really not a problematic kid in high school. He never really got in trouble, wasn’t attention-seeking or anything like that. Just a bright kid with a bright future, is kind of what I thought.”

Mangione went on to study computer science at the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering. It was “expected that he would go down like a typical path,” the classmate said.

“So when we heard about all of this, it came as a huge shock to us, and honestly, like our whole community,” the classmate said.

About six months ago, the classmate said he heard from other classmates that Mangione’s family was “inquiring about his whereabouts.”

“I heard that he got back surgery so we were all a little worried and many people reached out to him. No response,” the classmate said. “I didn’t hear anything about him until today when all the news dropped.”

“Huge shock, definitely,” they added.

Mangione’s last known address was in Honolulu, police said. R.J. Martin, the founder of a co-living space for remote workers in Honolulu who said he was Mangione’s roommate there, said he was “beyond shocked” by the news.

“It’s unimaginable,” Martin told Honolulu ABC affiliate KITV.

“Never once talked about guns, never once talked about violence,” Martin told the station. “He was absolutely a not violent person, as far as I could tell.”

Martin also recalled that Mangione had a back injury after a surf lesson and needed surgery.

He said they would talk about issues like health care, housing and food systems but “it wasn’t anything specific.”

“It wasn’t like he had an ax to grind,” he said.

When Mangione was arrested on Monday he had “written admissions about the crime” with him, according to the New York arrest warrant.

The suspect had several handwritten pages on him that appeared to express a “disdain for corporate America” and to indicate “he’s frustrated with the health care system in the United States,” NYPD Chief of Detective Joe Kenny told ABC News’ “Good Morning America” on Tuesday.

Mangione considered the killing of Thompson to be a “symbolic takedown” of UnitedHealthcare over perceived corruption, according to a confidential assessment of the crime by the NYPD intelligence bureau described to ABC News. The assessment is based in part on the suspect’s writings.

It is unknown if Mangione has a personal connection to UnitedHealthcare, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

In addition to murder, Mangione was charged in New York with possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of a weapon.

He was also charged with carrying a gun without a license, forgery, falsely identifying himself to authorities and possessing “instruments of crime” in Pennsylvania, where he remains in custody.

There is no information on counsel of record for him, a Pennsylvania court spokesperson said.

ABC News’ Aaron Katersky, Peter Charalambous and Sabina Ghebremedhin contributed to this report.

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(TRENTON, N.J.) — A New Jersey state senator is calling for a limited state of emergency over the mysterious drones that have been seen flying over New Jersey in recent weeks.

“The State of New Jersey should issue a limited state of emergency banning all drones until the public receives an explanation regarding these multiple sightings,” Republican state Sen. Jon Bramnick said in a statement Tuesday.

The call came amid numerous recent drone sightings reported across New Jersey in recent weeks. The drones are larger than the type typically used by hobbyists, officials and eyewitnesses have said.

The source and reason for the drones remains unknown as local, state and federal investigators look into the matter.

The Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey — a military research and production facility in Morris County — has reported 11 confirmed sightings by a police officer or security guard in response to a report since Nov. 13.

“While the source and cause of these aircraft operating in our area remain unknown, we can confirm that they are not the result of any Picatinny Arsenal-related activities,” Picatinny Arsenal Garrison Commander. Lt. Col. Craig Bonham II said in a statement Tuesday.

An FBI spokesperson said the agency is “doing all we can figure out what’s going on.” “The public can continue to call our 800 line, or submit a tip online, we are acting on every substantive lead that we get,” the spokesperson said.

Law enforcement has limited authority to actually address such drone activity and the authority they do have is reactive rather than proactive, a senior U.S. official told ABC News.

The mayors of 21 towns in New Jersey penned a letter to Gov. Phil Murphy demanding action over the mysterious drones.

Michael Melham, the mayor of Belleville, New Jersey, posted Monday night on Facebook that there will be a briefing held exclusively for New Jersey mayors on Wednesday with the New Jersey State Police and the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness regarding the drones.

The drones have raised concerns due to their proximity to both a military installation and President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf course.

ABC News’ Alex Faul and Julia Reinstein contributed to this report.

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(DENVER, Co.) — Law enforcement agencies in the Denver, Colorado, metropolitan area are investigating a rise in burglaries targeting Asian homes, businesses and places of worship across the community.

There have been around 100 reported burglaries of Asian homes across the state this year, according to Denver ABC affiliate KMGH-TV.

The sheriff’s office in Douglas County — which is south of Denver — told ABC News that there have been around 14 burglaries targeting homes of Asian business owners since the beginning of the year. Seven of these have happened since September, it noted.

In an interview that aired on Tuesday, Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly told ABC News Live’s Diane Macedo that there is a “multi-jurisdictional investigation” into a “sophisticated” operation, where the burglars are using “WiFi jammers to subvert alarm systems” and even conducting their own surveillance by setting up cameras near the homes of their victims to ensure that they are away when the burglars strike.

“Many times, these criminals will enter from the back, dressed as utility workers, are wearing vests,” Weekly said. “They’re very methodical. They plan these burglaries early, and they’ve made off with over $2.5 million that we’re aware of.”

The Douglas County Sheriff’s office first warned the community of these burglaries in an Oct. 31 statement and so far, no arrests have been made, a spokesperson confirmed to ABC News.

Asked why Asian business owners appear to be targeted, Weekly said that some are known to keep “large amounts” of cash in their homes, as opposed to depositing the money in a bank.

Lisa Nguyen, the owner of a plaza of Asian-owned businesses, told ABC News that one of the businesses in her plaza was burglarized.

“They are destroying small businesses,” Nguyen said in Tuesday’s interview. “The amount of money that they took is detrimental to, you know, them being able to operate.”

She’s also president-elect of the Denver Metro Association of Realtors, and said that the home of one of her real estate clients was burglarized twice since September.

According to Nguyen, who shared surveillance video of both burglaries with the ABC News, $17,000 worth of merchandise was stolen from a convenience store in her plaza.

She said a burglary of that scale puts families in a position where “multiple months of rent have been stolen” and “could cause businesses to completely shut down.”

Weekly urged the community to notify law enforcement if they see anything suspicious and advised residents to keep their homes locked, install lights on their property and to implement multiple security measures to safeguard their homes, as well as to communicate with their neighbors.

“It’s really critical if somebody sees something, call law enforcement so we can get out there,” Weekly said.

Weekly held a town hall on Monday night, along with Arapahoe County Sheriff Tyler Brown, the Organized Crime Unit and 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, to address the issue and share safety information with the community.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s office also partnered with the Colorado Asian Chamber of Commerce to distribute safety tips and urge anyone who has experienced a burglary or seen anything suspicious to come forward.

Nguyen said that she hopes an arrest will be made soon.

“I think my message is just that somebody literally has to know something out there,” she said. “And you know, that’s all it’s going to take is for somebody to come forward.”

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(NEW YORK) — Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel last week, considered the slaying to be a “symbolic takedown” of UnitedHealthcare over perceived corruption, according to a confidential assessment of the crime by the NYPD intelligence bureau described to ABC News.

Mangione “appeared to view the targeted killing … as a symbolic takedown and a direct challenge to its alleged corruption and ‘power games,'” the assessment said, according to a source. Mangione allegedly described himself as the “first to face” United Healthcare “with such brutal honesty.”

The assessment is based in part on the suspect’s writings.

When Mangione was arrested on Monday he had “written admissions about the crime” with him, according to the New York arrest warrant.

Mangione had several handwritten pages on him that expressed a “disdain for corporate America” and indicated “he’s frustrated with the health care system in the United States,” NYPD Chief of Detective Joe Kenny told ABC News’ “Good Morning America” on Tuesday.

“Specifically, he states how we are the No. 1 most expensive health care system in the world, yet the life expectancy of an American is ranked 42 in the world,” Kenny said.

Whether Mangione has a personal connection to UnitedHealthcare is unknown, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said, but the writings mention UnitedHealthcare by name, law enforcement sources told ABC News.

The sources described the handwriting as sloppy and included these quotes: “These parasites had it coming” and “I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done.”

Mangione — who was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday in connection with Thompson’s Dec. 4 slaying — is in custody in Pennsylvania and is set to appear at an extradition hearing at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The NYPD was “thrilled” to get the call from Altoona police that they had a person of interest in custody, Tisch told “GMA.”

Kenny said “the key to this case” was releasing the photo of the suspect’s face to the media and the public.

“That picture reached Pennsylvania,” where Mangione was recognized at a McDonald’s on Monday morning, Kenny said.

“We are grateful as a city to that person,” Tisch said.

“We had collected early in the investigation some forensic evidence, some DNA evidence, some fingerprints, so we were very confident that we were ultimately going to get to the right person,” Tisch added.

“We do have a lot of evidence in this case,” Tisch told “GMA.”

Mangione was apprehended “in possession of the same New Jersey fake identification that was used” to check into a hostel on New York’s Upper West Side before Thompson was gunned down, she said.

The gun Mangione was allegedly found with on Monday “looks very similar” to the gun used in the murder, “with a similar suppressor,” Tisch said. “So there’s a lot of reasons that we feel very strongly that he is the person of interest.”

Officers allegedly found a 3D printed pistol and a 3D printed silencer, according to the criminal complaint filed in Pennsylvania.

“The pistol had one loaded Glock magazine with six nine-millimeter full metal jack rounds. There was also one loose nine-millimeter hollow point round,” the complaint said.

Kenny described the weapon as a “ghost gun,” meaning it had no serial number and was untraceable.

Mangione, a Maryland native and Ivy League graduate, has been charged in New York with second-degree murder, possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of a weapon.

He was charged with five crimes in Pennsylvania, including carrying a gun without a license, forgery, falsely identifying himself to authorities and possessing “instruments of crime,” according to the criminal complaint.

Mangione’s family said in a statement that they’re “shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.”

The Pennsylvania State Police is asking for the public’s help piecing together Mangione’s travel in Pennsylvania. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-4PA-TIPS.

Police are also looking at Mangione’s travel at various points across the United States and out of the county within the past year, sources said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(NEW YORK) — Luigi Mangione is facing a second-degree murder charge in New York City in connection with the brazen shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan as new details emerge about the suspect and a potential motive, according to police.

When 26-year-old Mangione was arrested on Monday he had “written admissions about the crime” with him, according to the New York arrest warrant.

Mangione had several handwritten pages on him that expressed a “disdain for corporate America” and indicated “he’s frustrated with the health care system in the United States,” NYPD Chief of Detective Joe Kenny told ABC News’ “Good Morning America” on Tuesday.

“Specifically, he states how we are the No. 1 most expensive health care system in the world, yet the life expectancy of an American is ranked 42 in the world,” Kenny said.

Whether Mangione has a personal connection to UnitedHealthcare is unknown, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said, but the writings mention UnitedHealthcare by name, law enforcement sources told ABC News.

The sources described the handwriting as sloppy and included these quotes: “These parasites had it coming” and “I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done.”

Mangione — who was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday in connection with Thompson’s Dec. 4 slaying — remains in the custody of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections pending his extradition to New York.

The NYPD was “thrilled” to get the call from Altoona police that they had a person of interest in custody, Tisch told “GMA.”

Kenny said “the key to this case” was releasing the photo of the suspect’s face to the media and the public.

“That picture reached Pennsylvania,” where Mangione was recognized at a McDonald’s on Monday morning, Kenny said.

“We are grateful as a city to that person,” Tisch said.

“We had collected early in the investigation some forensic evidence, some DNA evidence, some fingerprints, so we were very confident that we were ultimately going to get to the right person,” Tisch added.

“We do have a lot of evidence in this case,” Tisch told “GMA.”

Mangione was apprehended “in possession of the same New Jersey fake identification that was used” to check into a hostel on New York’s Upper West Side before Thompson was gunned down, she said.

The gun Mangione was allegedly found with on Monday “looks very similar” to the gun used in the murder, “with a similar suppressor,” Tisch said. “So there’s a lot of reasons that we feel very strongly that he is the person of interest.”

Officers allegedly found a 3D printed pistol and a 3D printed silencer, according to the criminal complaint filed in Pennsylvania.

“The pistol had one loaded Glock magazine with six nine-millimeter full metal jack rounds. There was also one loose nine-millimeter hollow point round,” the complaint said.

Kenny described the weapon as a “ghost gun,” meaning it had no serial number and was untraceable.

Mangione, a Maryland native and Ivy League graduate, has been charged in New York with second-degree murder, possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of a weapon.

He was charged with five crimes in Pennsylvania, including carrying a gun without a license, forgery, falsely identifying himself to authorities and possessing “instruments of crime,” according to the criminal complaint.

Mangione’s family said in a statement that they’re “shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.”

The Pennsylvania State Police is asking for the public’s help piecing together Mangione’s travel in Pennsylvania. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-4PA-TIPS.

Police are also looking at Mangione’s travel at various points across the United States and out of the county within the past year, sources said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(NEW YORK) — Donald Trump’s impending inauguration as the next president does not impact his $454 million civil fraud judgment, a lawyer for New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a letter to the president-elect’s lawyer Tuesday.

Trump and his adult sons liable owe approximately $490 million including interest in their civil fraud case after a judge ruled last year that they repeatedly inflated Trump’s net worth to secure better loan terms over a decade of business dealings. Trump has appealed the ruling.

Because presidents do not have immunity from civil litigation, James plans to continue defending her judgment against Trump during his appeal of the case, the letter said.

“The ordinary burdens of civil litigation do not impede the President’s official duties in a way that violates the U.S. Constitution,” New York Deputy Solicitor General Judith Vale wrote in a letter to D. John Sauer, Trump’s appellate lawyer and nominee for solicitor general.

Last month, Sauer requested that James drop her civil case against Trump to “cure” partisan divides and improve “the health of our Republic.”

“In the aftermath of his historic election victory, President Trump has called for our Nation’s partisan strife to end, and for the contending factions to join forces for the greater good of the country. This call for unity extends to the legal onslaught against him and his family that permeated the most recent election cycle,” Sauer wrote, citing the recent dismissal of Trump federal election interference and classified documents cases.

Vale rejected the request, saying in her letter that there is “no merit to your claim that the pendency of defendants’ own appeal will impede Mr. Trump’s official duties as President.”

Because the New York attorney general’s case is civil, James faces no restriction in continuing to pursue her case as Trump returns to the White House.

“Accordingly, the various actions taken by the Special Counsel’s office or the District Attorney’s Office of New York County in the respective criminal cases brought by those offices against Mr. Trump are irrelevant here,” Vale’s letter said.

A ruling on Trump’s appeal of the judgment could come at any time.

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