Mangione Expected to Plead Guilty in Federal Case Over CEO's Killing

Luigi Mangione is expected to enter a guilty plea as early as Friday in the federal case accusing him of stalking and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to a person familiar with the matter. The source cautioned that Mangione could still change his mind before the hearing.

The development marks a significant turn in a case that has both rattled business leaders and galvanized critics of the health insurance industry. Mangione's legal team, as well as spokespeople for the Justice Department and Manhattan federal prosecutors, declined to comment on the expected plea.

Mangione is accused of traveling to New York City to ambush Thompson, 50, outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4, 2024, as the executive walked to an investor conference. The federal case includes two counts of stalking. It remains unclear which specific charges Mangione would plead guilty to.

The hearing comes after his lawyers held discussions with federal prosecutors about resolving one of the two criminal cases against him. Previous talks in June broke down. Mangione, 28, also faces a separate state case in New York, with a murder trial scheduled to begin September 8. Both sets of charges carry the possibility of a life sentence.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty and has publicly objected to facing two trials, telling a judge in February: "It's the same trial twice. One plus one is two. Double jeopardy by any commonsense definition."

Under New York law, a state prosecution could be barred if the federal case is resolved first, though it is not automatic. Double jeopardy protections apply if a jury is sworn in a prior prosecution or if that prosecution ends in a guilty plea. After a federal plea, Mangione's lawyers could ask the state judge to dismiss those charges on double jeopardy grounds, but state prosecutors argue their case is distinct.

The federal charges allege Mangione crossed state lines by bus to stalk and kill Thompson, using a cellphone, the internet, and interstate highways during the planning. The state charges pertain to the killing itself and firearms offenses. In a letter last month, state prosecutors objected to the possibility of a federal plea wiping out the state case, emphasizing the seriousness of the offenses and the loss of an innocent life.

Mangione's decision follows several setbacks for his defense. In January, a judge ruled prosecutors could use items from his backpack, including a 3D-printed pistol and a notebook describing intent to kill an insurance executive. In June, his lawyers briefly pursued a psychiatric defense in the state case before reversing course.

Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind. Police reported "delay," "deny," and "depose" were written on the ammunition. Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, was arrested five days later at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania. He has become a cause célèbre for people upset with the health insurance industry, with an online fundraiser raising more than $1.5 million and supporters attending his court appearances.