Here's What Needs To Happen For Someone To Get The $60,000 Reward For Helping Arrest Luigi Mangione

Among the many topics circulating around the apprehension of Luigi Mangione, the prime suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is the tens of thousands of dollars in rewards offered by law enforcement in exchange for information leading to his arrest.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) offered $10,000, while the FBI later added $50,000 of its own. Hundreds of calls and tips flooded their lines shortly after, but it was McDonald's employee in Altoona, Pennsylvania, who gave the consequential one, as confirmed by NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

The official recalled that the employee spotted Mangione on Monday morning, claiming he was "acting suspiciously," and carrying fake IDs as well as a U.S. passport.

However, USA Today specified at no one is entitled to the reward at this point and it will likely be some time until anyone receives anything. This is because the tip not only has to lead to an arrest, but a conviction as well. So, until a trial is held and Mangione is convicted, if he ever is, no one will receive any money.

The outlet added that those eligible first have to be nominated by a U.S. investigating agency, and people can't self-nominate. Then, an interagency committee reviews the nomination and confirms whether the person is legally eligible.

If that's the case, they will then pass the decision to the Secretary of State, who has the final call. In federal cases the Attorney General also needs to sign off on it. The FBI doesn't generally announce when a reward is paid. Moreover, the reward might not be the full amount, as officials review the value of the information, the threat mitigated and severity of danger posed by the person.

Should the McDonald's employee who provided the tip be eligible for the reward, he or she could receive a reward potentially higher than a year's salary: according to recruiting platform ZipRecruiter, the average McDonald's crew salary in Pennsylvania stands at $14 an hour. If the tipster works eight hours a day and 25 days a month, he or she would earn $2,800 a month. Multiplied by 12, the yearly figure clocks in at $33,600, meaning the reward would in fact amount to a more than year and a half's salaries should it be paid in full by both agencies.