Luigi Mangione, the man accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is expected to plead guilty to federal charges at an unexpected pretrial conference Friday, according to local reports — a development that could disrupt his New York state murder case just weeks before the trial is scheduled to start in Manhattan.
State and federal prosecutors, along with Mangione’s defense team, have not responded to requests for comment from News Outlet.
The New York Post and The New York Times, two of the city’s leading newspapers, reported Thursday that Mangione, a 28-year-old former Ivy League student, is expected to enter a guilty plea in his federal stalking case.
Luigi Mangione attends a pre-trial appearance at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, on August 11, 2026. (REUTERS)
Authorities allege Mangione tracked Thompson to a Manhattan Hilton hotel on the morning of Dec. 4, 2024, then shot him in the back hours before a business conference was set to begin at the venue. Surveillance footage shows a hooded man walking up behind Thompson and firing a handgun — the same weapon investigators say was found in Mangione’s backpack when he was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania.
Mangione had previously pleaded not guilty to every charge in both the federal and state cases. His lawyers have already notched significant wins, persuading judges in both proceedings to throw out the most serious counts. That means he would no longer face the death penalty if convicted in federal court, and he would not face life without parole if convicted in the New York state case.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is pictured in an undated portrait provided by UnitedHealth. The executive was shot from behind and killed on his way to an investor conference in New York City in what prosecutors have described as a politically motivated assassination. (AP Photo/UnitedHealth Group via AP)
Even so, Mangione could still receive a maximum sentence of life without parole in federal prison if convicted in that case. Legal experts, however, have said he would likely avoid the harshest possible punishment even if a jury found him guilty.
Luigi Mangione is escorted from an NYPD helicopter in New York City, New York, Thursday, December, 19, 2024. Mangione is the prime suspect in the murder of United Healthcare CEO, Brian Thompson. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for News Outlet)
“Rarely somebody with no background, who’s educated, gets the maximum sentences,” said Donna Rotunno, a Chicago criminal defense attorney and Fox News contributor. “Is he looking at minimum sentences? No. But at the end of the day, he’s benefiting from more serious charges being dismissed.”
He is still likely looking at decades behind bars, and any legal issues arising from a potential plea deal could also delay the start of his state trial, which is supposed to begin with jury selection on Sept. 8, she said.
This is a developing story.
