CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The man accused of killing 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte Area Transit System light rail on Aug. 22 is set to appear in federal court for the first time on Thursday.

Decarlos Brown was indicted by a federal grand jury in October, charged with violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death.

The federal indictment includes special findings that make Brown eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors allege Brown intentionally killed Zarutska and acted with "reckless disregard for human life." The indictment also notes Brown was previously convicted of robbery with a dangerous weapon in Mecklenburg County Superior Court in February 2015.

Under federal law, violence against a mass transportation sys

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