Reward in search of UnitedHealthcare CEO's killer: Who gets it?

Six days after the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street, police announced Monday that they had a suspect in custody after a vigorous campaign seeking the public’s help in identifying the shooter had asked.

The search intensified over the weekend when the NYPD’s FBI joined the investigation, adding a $50,000 reward on top of the NYPD’s $10,000. Given the flood of information, the NYPD ultimately said a tip from a McDonald’s restaurant employee allowed authorities to identify and locate the suspect, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione.

Mangione was arrested on five charges in Pennsylvania on Monday, but as of Monday evening has yet to be charged in the killing itself. Police said Monday that a search revealed that Mangione was in possession of fake identification cards, a “ghost” gun and a silencer, as well as clothing and a mask consistent with the suspected shooter.

With law enforcement praising the McDonald’s employee’s tip as crucial, questions arose about what rewards will be offered and who will end up receiving them. Here’s what would need to happen for the bonuses of up to $60,000 to be paid out.

Updates:Person of interest arrested by police in connection with assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO

Who is the “person of interest” arrested in the CEO shooting?

Mangione, 26, was initially arrested Monday in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on a weapons charge as a person of interest. As of Monday evening, Mangione has not been charged with murder or any other crimes in connection with the CEO’s killing.

New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said he was found with a gun, a mask and a fake ID “matching items believed to have been used by Thompson’s killer.”

The man was identified Monday based on a tip after he was recognized by a McDonald’s restaurant employee, Tisch said. The employee told police they saw him at the restaurant around 9:15 a.m. “acting suspiciously” and carrying several fake IDs and a U.S. passport.

NYPD and FBI combine to offer UnitedHealthcare shooter $60,000

The NYPD initially offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Thompson’s shooter. Over the weekend, the FBI placed the shooter on its most wanted list and offered an additional $50,000 reward.

Hundreds of tips came in after authorities released several photos and offered $60,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Who would receive the reward for reporting the murderer?

At this point, no one is eligible for the award and likely won’t be for a while.

While law enforcement is asking for the public’s help in finding the shooter, not every tip that proves useful will be rewarded with the $60,000. A tip would not only have to lead to the arrest of a suspect, but also to a conviction.

Until a trial can take place and a perpetrator is convicted or at least charged in court, no one is entitled to the reward.

How are bonuses determined and paid?

To be eligible for an FBI reward, you would first need to be nominated to receive the reward by a U.S. investigative agency, such as the Department of Defense or the FBI, according to the FBI’s website. A person who has provided information cannot nominate themselves.

An interagency committee then reviews the nomination and its legal suitability. If the information provided is determined to merit a reward, the proposal is forwarded to the Secretary of State, who makes the final decision. In federal cases, the attorney general must also agree.

The FBI generally does not disclose that a reward has been paid. The agency is not sharing information it obtained as part of the investigation or disclosing identity information about people who receive payments, but it is submitting a confidential report to Congress.

Determining that you are eligible or even approved for a reward does not guarantee receipt of a specific amount of money. The amount of the award is based on several factors, according to the FBI, including the value of the information provided, the degree of threat mitigated by the information received, the severity of the threat or injury to U.S. persons or property, and the risk, to which one is exposed by a source and his/her family and the level of cooperation of a source.

A payment to a source can be any amount up to the total amount of an advertised reward offer.

As for the NYPD, the bounty program is run by Crime Stoppers, where tips can be submitted anonymously at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org. After submitting the information, tipsters will receive a unique reference number.

Because law enforcement does not collect other identifying information about tipsters, those hoping to receive a reward must call back or go online to check the status of the investigation using this reference number, according to the NYPD and Crime Stoppers websites. If a reward is offered and the New York City Police Foundation and/or the Crime Stoppers Board approves a reward related to their tip, the caller will be informed of how to receive the reward.

Would the McDonald’s employee who reported a “person of interest” receive the reward?

Mangione, the suspect named in the investigation, had not been charged with Thompson’s murder as of Monday evening.

To receive the FBI reward, the McDonald’s employee would first have to be nominated by a participating agency and then approved by the committee. If the Secretary of State agreed, he would then determine how much money the information provided by the employee is worth, up to the advertised sum of $50,000, but probably not.

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