Luigi Mangione Expected To Plead Guilty In Federal Case: Report

MANHATTAN, NY — Luigi Mangione, the Maryland native accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is expected to plead guilty to federal charges associated with the killing, according to reports from The New York Times and NBC News citing people familiar with the case.

Mangione, 28, was scheduled to go on trial in federal court in January on charges of stalking resulting in death. The charges could carry a potential life sentence. Mangione was not charged with murder in his federal case.

While details of Mangione’s plea were not immediately clear, he could reverse his decision at any time, including during his Friday hearing.

The potential plea also comes a month before Mangione's New York state trial is scheduled to begin. In New York, he is charged with second-degree murder, as well as weapons and forgery counts.

Mangione is also facing several state charges in Pennsylvania stemming from his arrest. He has pleaded not guilty to all state charges.

If Mangione pleads guilty to the federal charges, NBC News reported that his lawyers are expected to seek dismissal of some or all of the charges in his state case.

Thompson, 50, was killed on Dec. 4, 2024, as he walked to UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference. Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind.

Police say the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used by critics to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.

Mangione was arrested five days after the shooting at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Mangione is a Towson native and a 2016 graduate of Gilman School in Baltimore, an elite all-boys prep school where he was class valedictorian. Mangione is from an affluent business family, who said he seemed to struggle following a back surgery.

Family and friends said Mangione lost contact with them in the months leading up to Thompson's shooting, and Mangione's social media accounts reflected a shift from posts on books he read, workout routines and his travels to a person in pain who was unhappy with the healthcare system.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

Related:

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• Luigi Mangione's Attorneys Want Death Penalty Dismissed In CEO Murder Case
• ‘Deny Defend Depose’ Banner Hung Over I-83 In Baltimore: Mangione Case