A New York man was accused of stalking and harassing a family member of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, allegedly sending threatening voicemails in the hours after the fatal shooting in midtown Manhattan last year, prosecutors said.

Shane Daley, 40, was arrested on Aug. 13 and charged with cyberstalking, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York. A criminal complaint alleges that Daley placed multiple calls to Thompson’s family member between Dec. 4 and Dec. 7, 2024, beginning just hours after Thompson was shot outside a hotel.

Prosecutors said Daley had left a series of voicemails, in which he used "threatening and harassing language" that was centered on Thompson’s killing. He also allegedly expressed glee over the death, and stated that the family member and Thompson’s children "deserved to meet the same violent end," according to the criminal complaint.

Daley, of Galway, New York, a rural community about 37 miles northwest of Albany, was scheduled to be arraigned on the afternoon of Aug. 13, according to prosecutors. The cyberstalking charge carries a maximum term of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

“Shane Daley allegedly repeatedly harassed the grieving family of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare gunned down in New York City," Christopher Raia, FBI assistant director in charge of the New York Field Office, said in a statement. "The recurrent calls and messages in the days following Brian Thompson’s murder were more than callous and cold-hearted harassment – they were threatening and terrified a family already suffering following the violent death of their loved one."

What happened in the shooting of Brian Thompson?

Thompson, 50, was shot at about 6:45 a.m. local time on Dec. 4, 2024, outside the New York Hilton Midtown, authorities said. He had been scheduled to speak at UnitedHealth Group's annual conference for analysts and investors.

Thompson was walking alone towards the hotel when a gunman approached from behind and shot him in the back, according to authorities. It seemed that the suspect "was lying in wait" for several minutes as other people walked by, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch previously said.

Surveillance footage showed that when Thompson appeared, the gunman stepped behind him and opened fire from close range. The suspect's gun appeared to jam, but he still managed to continue firing, authorities said.

The gunman then fled across the street, and he was captured by city surveillance cameras riding a bike into nearby Central Park before later leaving the city from a bus station near the George Washington Bridge.

The suspect was later identified as Luigi Mangione, 27, who was arrested on Dec. 9, 2024, in Pennsylvania following a massive manhunt. Writings that were found in Mangione's possession revealed that he expressed "hostility towards the health insurance industry and wealthy executives in particular," according to a complaint filed in federal court.

In April, a federal grand jury indicted Mangione on four charges, including two counts of stalking, a weapons offense, and murder through the use of a firearm. He also faces murder and terrorism charges in New York state, as well as gun possession and other charges in Pennsylvania.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to the federal and state charges.

Who was Brian Thompson?

Thompson lived in Maple Grove, Minnesota, and served as CEO of UnitedHealthcare, one of the largest insurance providers in the United States, since April 2021. He joined the company in 2004 and worked in different divisions.

Thompson graduated from the University of Iowa in 1997 with degrees in business administration and accounting, according to his LinkedIn page. He is survived by his two sons and wife, Paulette Thompson, who told NBC in 2024 that her husband had previously received threats related to his job.

Murder case draws widespread attention

The shooting prompted heightened security measures and unleashed social media vitriol aimed at the U.S. health insurance industry. Following Thompson's death, companies announced they were evaluating security measures, canceling in-person events, and removing executives' biographies and photographs from their websites.

The incident triggered an outpour of contempt toward health insurers, with people on social media sharing their grievances over denied claims and complaints about perceived greed in the industry. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, videos posted online appeared to show "wanted" posters in New York with the names and faces of other corporate executives.

On April 14, police arrested an armed man outside UnitedHealthcare's headquarters in Minnesota after he made "threats of violence" directed at the company. He later surrendered to law enforcement and was taken into custody.

In February, prosecutors in Florida dropped charges against a woman who allegedly threatened an insurance company using the words “Delay, deny, depose," the same as those on shell casings found near Thompson's body, the Lakeland Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.

The murder case has drawn widespread attention, with Mangione receiving support from a growing fanbase, including handwritten heart-shaped notes and donations for his legal defense. A fund aimed at helping pay for Mangione's legal expenses received over $1.2 million.

Contributing: Christopher Cann, Bailey Schulz, Nick Penzenstadler, Ken Alltucker, Jeanine Santucci, and N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY; Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New York man charged with cyberstalking family member of slain UnitedHealthcare CEO

Reporting by Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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