Mangione expected to plead guilty in federal Thompson killing case

Luigi Mangione is expected to plead guilty Friday to federal charges tied to the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan, according to NBC News, a move that could reshape a separate state murder case scheduled to go to trial next month.

Mangione, 28, faces two federal stalking-related charges in connection with the fatal shooting of Thompson, 50, a father of two, outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan in December 2024. The BBC reported that his attorneys are meeting federal prosecutors Friday amid U.S. media reports of a possible plea agreement.

“There’s a conference scheduled for 11 am on Friday, and that’s all we can say at this time,” Jamie McDonald, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said this week, according to the BBC.

It was not immediately clear whether Mangione would plead guilty to one or both federal stalking-related charges, NBC News reported. Sources familiar with the matter told NBC that plea negotiations are ongoing and that nothing is final until Mangione accepts or enters into an agreement in court. They also cautioned that he could reverse course at any time, even during the hearing.

Mangione’s lawyers declined to comment to NBC News. The Justice Department and a court spokesperson also declined to comment. The BBC reported that Mangione’s attorneys, the Southern District of New York and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office did not respond to its requests for comment.

The federal charges accuse Mangione of traveling and using surveillance to kill Thompson. The two stalking crimes carry a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole, according to the BBC. NBC News reported that if convicted, Mangione could face a life sentence.

The Justice Department initially sought the death penalty in the federal case, but U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett blocked that in January, NBC News reported. The BBC reported that a federal judge threw out two other charges in January, including one that carried the death penalty as a possible sentence.

Mangione also faces a separate New York state case. He has pleaded not guilty to eight felony charges there, including second-degree murder and several counts related to criminal possession of a weapon. Jury selection is set to begin next month, and the BBC reported that the state trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 8. If convicted in the state case, he faces the possibility of life in prison. His federal trial is listed for January 2027, according to the BBC.

His lawyers have argued from the beginning that he should not be prosecuted in both state and federal court, saying the cases raise double jeopardy concerns. Judges overseeing both cases have so far allowed them to proceed, the BBC reported.

A federal guilty plea could give Mangione’s lawyers grounds to seek dismissal of some or all state charges. NBC News legal analyst Danny Cevallos said New York law may bar a later state prosecution for the same conduct if a federal plea deal is reached. Mitchell Epner, a white-collar attorney and former federal prosecutor, told the BBC: “If a federal prosecution has been completed on a matter, the state cannot prosecute the matter on those same facts.”

Thompson was shot as he walked alone outside the Hilton Hotel hours before UnitedHealthcare was set to host an investor conference there. The killing led to a dayslong, multistate manhunt for a masked gunman seen in surveillance footage shooting Thompson on the street.

Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Authorities confiscated a notebook that prosecutors say belonged to him and contained plans to kill Thompson, NBC News reported.

The killing and Mangione’s arrest have fueled wider debate over the U.S. health care system and its costs. NBC News reported that Mangione has drawn supporters to pretrial appearances and has been referenced by some people charged in other crimes.