In recent months, numerous defense funds have raked in collective millions in donations for high-profile criminal defendants.
The alleged offenses of these individuals range from murder to illegal immigration. These alleged actions include both federal and state offenses and have occurred in almost every region of the country, from the Northeast to the Mid-Atlantic to the Deep South.
The funds are often crowd-sourced and hosted on platforms such as GiveSendGo and GoFundMe. They are usually established within days of the public becoming aware of the alleged criminal offense and are used for various purposes.
Luigi Mangione Fund
Luigi Mangione sprang to national attention in December 2024 after he was apprehended in connection with the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan. The December 4 Legal Committee established the fund and has raised nearly one million dollars.
The Committee periodically shares updates about three criminal cases against the 26-year-old and provides notes on how donations will be used. The description of the fund says, “Luigi and his legal team have officially accepted the funds and, while Tom Dickey is Luigi’s attorney in one of the cases, Karen Friedman Agnifilo is representing Luigi, and the funds will be used across all three cases.”
Later, the description reads, “If Luigi chooses to reject any portion of the funds, that portion will instead be donated to legal funds for other U.S political prisoners and defendants facing politicized charges.”
The stakes in the case against Mangione were raised in early April when US Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Justice Department announced that it would seek the death penalty against him. “After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again,” the AG said in an April 1 press release.
“This is a corrupt web of government dysfunction and one-upmanship,” Mangione’s defense attorney Karen Agnifilo was quoted by NBC. “Luigi is caught in a high-stakes game of tug-of-war between state and federal prosecutors, except the trophy is a young man’s life.”
Karmelo Anthony Fund
Another young man accused of murder has seen hundreds of thousands of dollars flow his way. Frisco teen Karmelo Anthony, who apparently confessed to killing fellow 17-year-old Austin Metcalf in “self-defense” at a track meet on April 2, according to police reports, has been supported by the “Help Karmelo Official Fund” on GiveSendGo.
As of Thursday afternoon, the fund had raised $510,187, with a goal of $550,000. The description of the fund, which has changed multiple times, currently indicates that it is not strictly for Anthony’s legal defense, in the way Mangione’s is. “This fundraiser has been established to provide comprehensive assistance to the Anthony family as they navigate the many challenges surrounding Karmelo’s case.”
A later section of the fund description reads, “The funds raised will also support a range of urgent and necessary needs that have emerged as a result of this situation, including — but not limited to — the safe relocation of the Anthony family due to escalating threats to their safety and well-being, as well as basic living costs, transportation, counseling, and other security measures.”
This has come amid a flurry of alleged reports that the Anthony family has acquired a new vehicle and moved to a wealthy gated community. Additionally, the judge in Anthony’s case lowered his bond and released him on house arrest.
However, Anthony has reportedly moved again to an “undisclosed location” after the wave of media attention.
The Dallas Express previously reported on fundraising irregularities in Anthony’s GiveSendGo, including mysterious duplicative anonymous donations that occurred day and night.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Numerous GoFundMe pages have been established to help Kilmar Abrego Garcia and his family. The largest was created by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and has raised $265,344, with a $290,000 goal.
“Kilmar is a loving father, husband, son, brother, union construction co-worker, and CASA member. He has been wrongfully disappeared and deported, torn from his family due to a shocking administrative error by the US government… We’re raising funds to support Kilmar’s family survive this unimaginable crisis. Your donation will help cover urgent living expenses and advocacy efforts to reunite Kilmar with his family.” the fund description reads.
The description included a note from Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Sura, that reads, in part: “Kilmar is an excellent father… Since our family has been separated, I have been devastated and confused. I lost my life partner, my children lost their father, and all of our family, neighbors, co-workers, and friends have been devastated due to this unjust family separation.”
This glowing portrait starkly contrasts with the image that federal officials and Jennifer painted of Garcia just a few years ago.
Arkansas’s Republican Senator Tom Cotton pointed out to Fox News Host Mark Levin that on April 20, a federal court had found Garcia to have been a likely member of MS-13.
White House Press Secretary denied the media depiction of Garcia as a “Maryland Father” and said he is “an illegal alien MS-13 gang member and foreign terrorist who was deported back to his home country.”
In a 2021 court filing for a protection order, Sura alleged Garcia repeatedly beat her, saying, “At this point, I am afraid to be close to him. I have multiple photos/videos of how violent he can be and all the bruises he [has] left me.”
A court battle has ensued since Garcia’s arrest by ICE in March, with the federal judges ordering the executive branch to facilitate Garcia’s return to the United States.