A man from Minnesota faces charges for allegedly orchestrating a jailbreak attempt for Luigi Mangione. Mark Anderson was taken into custody on January 28 after posing as an FBI agent at a New York federal detention center, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Oxygen.
Though the complaint did not specifically name the inmate Anderson aimed to free, a law enforcement official confirmed to CNBC that it was indeed Mangione, the accused in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The 36-year-old allegedly made the journey from Minnesota to New York City, where he entered the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. There, he claimed to be an FBI agent, according to details outlined in the complaint filed on January 29.
The complaint states that Anderson approached the intake area of the Metropolitan Detention Center, presenting himself to Bureau of Prisons officers as an FBI agent. He allegedly told them he had court-ordered documentation authorizing the release of a specific inmate held at the facility.
When officers requested his credentials, Anderson reportedly showed his Minnesota driver’s license and mentioned he had weapons, leading to his immediate detention by the officers.
After Anderson was asked to provide his credentials, authorities allege he produced his Minnesota drivers license and “claimed to be in possession of weapons,” prompting officers to detain him at the scene.
Inside the complaint was a photo of items found in his backpack, including a large barbecue-style fork and a round steel blade resembling a pizza cutter.
A law enforcement source told CNBC, Anderson was in New York City seeking a job opportunity that did not work out and had been working at a pizzeria.
The incident occurred hours after state prosecutors argued that Mangione’s state trial should begin in July, two months before jury selection in his federal trial is currently scheduled to get underway.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to federal and state charges alleging he had stalked Thompson and fatally shot the CEO in midtown Manhattan on Dec. 4, 2024.
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