Why McDonald's worker who helped nab Luigi Mangione might not get $60K prize money

The McDonald's worker who helped catch United HealthCare CEO Brian Thompson's murder suspect, Luigi Mangione, may not get the $50,000 cash prize offered by the FBI, USA Today reported.

26-year-old Luigi Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's outlet in Pennsylvania on Monday, December 9, 2024. Ahead of his arrest, the NYPD had offered an initial compensation of $10K for any information. After the FBI got involved in the case, they offered an additional $50K.

However, the McDonalds worker who helped catch Luigi Mangione may not be eligible to receive either of the awards yet. As far as rules for the NYPD are concerned, the rewards program is executed through Crime Stoppers. In this system, one can call 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) to provide information.

Information providers receive a unique reference ID after their tip. Any reward given has to be approved by a Board of Directors. After primary approval, tipsters can check their status and eligibility for any compensation using their unique ID on the NYPD or Crime Stoppers website.

Meanwhile, according to the FBI's official website, to be eligible to receive the $50K award, the McDonalds coworker will have to be nominated by one of the involved agencies and approved by the committee. The Secretary of State will also have to approve it, after which the exact amount of compensation will be determined. So, it might not add up to the $50K initially advertised.

Notably, for cases of both the NYPD and FBI, cash rewards cannot be given out just after receiving relevant information, even if it leads to an arrest. Awards can only be given after a person of interest faces indictment or conviction in a court of law. In other words, unless the charges against Luigi Mangione are proven in court, the McDonald's worker will not be eligible for compensation.

Both for the NYPD and FBI, receiving a monetary award involves multiple other factors, and being eligible does not warrant an award. Some factors include the value of the information provided, the risk factor, the severity of danger, and the degree of the source's cooperation, among others.

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Internet users bombarded McDonald's outlet in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where Luigi Mangione was arrested

McDonald's Q1 Earnings Up On Higher Menu Prices, Overseas Growth (Image via Getty)

Shortly after Mangione's arrest on December 9, multiple people bombarded Google with negative reviews about the McDonald's outlet in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where the suspect was arrested.

Some of the reviews included alleged references to the US healthcare system and hatred for police informants. As reported by Al Jazeera on December 10, one post said:

"This location has rats in the kitchen that will make you sick and your insurance isn’t going to cover it."

CBS News reported another review on December 10 that said:

“More like Narc-donalds … I hope obesity and heart disease are in-network in PA. Deny, defend, depose, diarrhea @ McDonald’s …”

According to a spokesperson from Google, the company has taken down such reviews as it violates their terms of use. The spokesperson added that they have taken additional measures to ensure service integrity.

As per Google policy, all reviews must be based on a person's genuine experiences. Most of the negative reviews that flooded in after Mangione's arrest at the McDonald's outlet were allegedly aimed at the US healthcare system and had nothing to do with the quality or service of the food or restaurant. A recent surge of one-star reviews has led the Altoona outlet of McDonald's to end up with an overall 3.6 rating in 1,890 reviews.

The reviews allegedly came in light of US citizens being dissatisfied with the US healthcare system. Since Luigi Mangione's arrest, multiple people took to the internet to celebrate Thompson's murder and seemingly supported Mangione's alleged hatred for the healthcare system.

According to the consumer research site Value Penguin, United HealthCare has the highest claim denial rate at 32%. Since Thompson's death, many users have shared their alleged bad experiences with United HealthCare as well.

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Mangione is yet to be charged with the first-degree murder of Brian Thompson. In New York, Luigi Mangione is facing second-degree murder charges, charges for possession of a false ID, and weapons possession charges. He is currently in custody and has been denied bail. He awaits trial for his multiple charges.