Luigi Mangione, 28, is expected to appear at a morning hearing in Manhattan federal court on Friday and plead guilty to federal charges connected to the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to sources familiar with the matter cited by both the New York Post and NBC News.
Luigi Mangione expected to plead guilty Friday to federal charges in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing
Luigi Mangione, 28, is expected to appear at a morning hearing in Manhattan federal court on Friday and plead guilty to federal charges connected to the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to sources familiar with the matter cited by both the New York Post and NBC News.
Mangione faces two stalking-resulting-in-death counts in the federal case. According to NBC News, it remains unclear whether he will plead guilty to one or both charges, and sources familiar with the matter stressed that plea negotiations are ongoing and that nothing is final until Mangione himself accepts or enters a plea deal. NBC News also noted he could reverse his decision at any time, even during the hearing.
Thompson was fatally shot outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan in December 2024, hours before UnitedHealthcare was scheduled to host an investor conference at the venue, according to NBC News. A multi-state manhunt ended with Mangione's arrest at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Authorities at that time confiscated a notebook that prosecutors say belonged to Mangione and contained plans to kill Thompson.
A conviction on the federal charges could result in a life sentence, both sources report. The Justice Department had initially sought the death penalty in the federal case, but U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett blocked that pursuit in January, according to NBC News.
A guilty plea in federal court could complicate the separate state case, where jury selection is set to begin next month and trial is scheduled to start on September 8. Both sources note that New York's double jeopardy rules may bar a subsequent state prosecution for the same conduct if a federal plea deal is reached. NBC News legal analyst Danny Cevallos was cited to that effect, and the New York Post similarly noted the potential impact.
According to NBC News, if Mangione pleads guilty to the federal charges, his lawyers are expected to seek dismissal of some or all charges in the state case. In that state proceeding, Mangione has pleaded not guilty to nine felony charges, including second-degree murder and several counts related to criminal possession of a weapon, and faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has claimed primary jurisdiction in the case because it charged Mangione with murder first, and could still push to take Mangione to trial if it disapproves of the terms of any plea deal, according to the New York Post.
According to NBC News, lawyers for Mangione have argued since the beginning of both cases that their client is a victim of double jeopardy. Mangione's lawyers, the Justice Department, and a court spokesperson all declined to comment, per NBC News.
Thompson's killing and Mangione's subsequent arrest have prompted broader public debate about the U.S. healthcare system and its costs, according to NBC News. Mangione has attracted supporters to his pre-trial appearances and has been described by NBC News as having become a folk hero to some.
- The specific terms or conditions of any plea agreement, including sentencing recommendations, have not been established by either source.
- Whether Mangione will plead guilty to one or both of the two stalking-related federal charges remains unclear.
- The Manhattan District Attorney's Office's formal response to the expected federal plea has not been reported.
- What, if any, cooperation or other provisions may be part of a plea deal is not addressed by either source.
- The outcome of the Friday hearing itself is not yet known at the time of these reports.
- Judge Margaret Garnett's anticipated handling of the plea hearing is not detailed in either source.
- New York Post — original — by Larry Celona
- NBC News — by Jonathan Dienst
Read the original at New York Post