Luigi Mangione tells judge he will plead guilty to federal charges
Luigi Mangione told a federal judge in Manhattan that he will plead guilty to federal stalking charges during an emergency court hearing. Mangione, 28, faces a possible maximum sentence of life in prison for allegedly stalking UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson before Thompson was murdered in December 2024.
NEW YORK — Accused assassin Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty in federal court Friday morning, following days of mounting speculation that he might admit guilt in the federal case as part of an effort to raise a potential double jeopardy argument ahead of his state murder trial.
Federal prosecutors say Mangione, 28, was the hooded gunman who approached UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson from behind on Dec. 4, 2024, and shot him in the back outside a Hilton hotel in Manhattan.
With a guilty plea now established in the federal case, Mangione’s defense attorneys could seek to pursue a fresh double jeopardy claim, though it is not yet clear whether such an argument would succeed.
A surveillance image released by the NYPD shows a hooded man pointing a handgun on the morning UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed in New York City on Dec. 4, 2024. The footage shows the assailant coming up from behind and opening fire, fatally shooting Thompson outside a Manhattan Hilton hotel. (NYPD)
Judge Margaret Garnett asked Mangione whether he understood that the maximum penalty he could face is life in prison. He replied, “Yes.”
Mangione also told the court that he contacted UnitedHealthcare while posing as an investor in order to obtain details about the conference.
When given a chance to speak further in court, Mangione chose to remain seated.
This 2017 file photo of Brian Thompson was released via Businesswire when he was named Chief Executive Officer of UnitedHealthcare Unit in 2017. (Businesswire)
“After years of enduring severe pain from a broken back… I learned UnitedHealthcare would hold an investor’s conference,” he began.
The judge told him to speak louder. Mangione explained that while the specific location of the investor conference wasn’t immediately made public, he researched it online. That’s when he called the company directly.
He said he traveled to the Big Apple with the intent of shooting Brian Thompson.
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)
“On the morning of Dec. 4, 2024, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan,” Mangione told the court.
“I knew what I was doing.”
Federal prosecutors summarized some of the evidence they would have introduced at trial — including security camera video they say shows Mangione arriving in New York on a bus, following Thompson around the Hilton on the morning of the murder, and video of the shooting itself.
The video shows a hooded gunman approach Thompson from behind and shoot him in the back. As he falls and turns around, he’s shot again. Then the suspect is seen fleeing on a bicycle.
Investigators recovered Mangione’s DNA and fingerprints at or near the crime scene. Police found the suspected murder weapon in his backpack when he was arrested. They also have cellphone evidence and an eyewitness of the shooting.
FBI Wanted poster in death of Brian Thompson. (FBI)
Garnett scheduled a sentencing hearing for Dec. 18.
“Brian Thompson’s life was cut short by an act of violence that devastated everyone who knew and loved him,” a spokesperson for UnitedHealth Group said in a statement. “We are grateful to law enforcement for bringing Brian’s murderer to justice, and our thoughts remain with Brian’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
Thompson’s family also issued a statement through a spokesperson:
“Today’s guilty plea marks an important step toward justice for Brian and for our family,” it reads. “While nothing will ease the pain of losing him, we are grateful that the federal justice system has held the person responsible for this heinous act accountable. Now we look to the court to ensure that sentencing reflects the severity of this crime. We remain mindful that additional proceedings in New York and Pennsylvania are still to come, and we will continue to seek the justice Brian deserves.”
In addition to the top charges of second-degree murder and stalking resulting in death, Mangione faces a slew of lesser charges, including a number of firearms offenses and carrying a forged ID in both New York and Pennsylvania.
This is a developing story. Stick with News Outlet for updates.
