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Accused Murderer's Bizarre Pokémon Payment Scheme Revealed
22 Oct
Summary
- Mangione texted a joke about paying a Yakuza boss for a prostitute with "pornstar Pokémon" cards
- Mangione traveled across Asia, including Japan and India, before the 2024 shooting
- Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state and federal murder charges
In the months leading up to the 2024 shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Luigi Mangione traveled across Asia, including a stop in Japan where he made a bizarre joke about attempting to pay a Yakuza boss for a prostitute using "pornstar Pokémon" cards instead of yen.
Mangione, a Maryland native who lived in Hawaii after college, is now facing state and federal murder charges in connection with Thompson's death. The 52-year-old CEO was fatally shot while walking in Midtown Manhattan in December 2024.
According to reports, Mangione briefly settled in San Francisco in July 2024, five months before the New York City shooting. Federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Thompson, a Minnesota resident, had been in New York to attend an annual investor conference for UnitedHealthcare. He was the father of two sons.
