Mr. Mangione was formally charged Monday evening with forgery, possession of a firearm without a license, tampering with records or identification, possession of instruments of crime and presenting false identification to police.
Pete Wicks, the district attorney for Blair County, Pennsylvania, said murder charges in New York would likely be filed “tonight or tomorrow” or “in the near future.”
Mr. Mangione stopped cooperating after being detained, officials said.
Handcuffed at his wrists and ankles, he appeared in court Monday in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Mangione, dressed in jeans and a dark blue jersey, appeared calm during the hearing and occasionally glanced around at attendees, including the media.
New York City investigators used police dogs, drones and divers, one of the world’s largest digital surveillance systems in Central Park Lake, to search for clues before the search spreads to neighboring states.
However, it was ultimately a McDonald’s customer who recognized the suspect from media reports and alerted staff. The employee reported it to the police.
According to Pennsylvania authorities, police responded to reports of a “suspicious man” who resembled the suspect in Thompson’s murder.
When police arrived at the fast food restaurant, Mr. Mangione showed them a fake New Jersey driver’s license with the name Mark Rosario on it, court documents say.
When the officer asked him if he had been to New York recently, he “became quiet and began shaking,” the criminal complaint added.
After being told he would be arrested if he lied about his name, he gave his real name, Luigi Mangione, according to court documents.
When asked why he lied, he told police, “I definitely shouldn’t have lied,” court papers said.
A search of his backpack uncovered a 3D printed handgun, a 3D printed silencer, and a magazine loaded with six rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Prosecutors said he had a U.S. passport and $10,000 in cash, $2,000 of it in foreign currency, but Mr. Mangione disputed the amounts in court.
Investigators said finding him came as a complete surprise because his name had not been on the list of suspects before Monday.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the weapon and silencer investigators seized from the suspect this morning “are both consistent with the weapons used in the murder.”
If charges are filed in New York, Mr. Mangione will have the option to waive extradition or contest it.
If he gives it up, he will be immediately exposed to New York authorities. If he appeals, the process could take 30 to 45 days.
A three-page handwritten document found in Mangione’s belongings suggests he harbors “malice toward corporate America,” said Joseph Kenny, the New York criminal chief.
Mr. Kenny said Mr. Mangione was born and raised in Maryland and has ties to San Francisco, California. His last address was Honolulu, Hawaii.
TrueCar, a website for car buyers, confirmed he worked there but left in 2023.
