Luigi Mangione told a federal judge Friday that he intends to plead guilty to federal charges connected to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, marking a major turn in the closely watched case.
Mangione, 28, appeared in federal court in Manhattan on August 14. He told U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett that he plans to plead guilty to federal stalking charges involving Thompson. The remaining charges could carry a sentence of life in prison without parole.
Mangione had previously pleaded not guilty. The federal case once included charges that could have resulted in the death penalty. However, Garnett dismissed federal murder and firearms counts in January 2026, removing the possibility of a federal death sentence.
The New York murder case continues
Thompson was fatally shot outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4, 2024, before an investor conference. Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania five days later following a nationwide search.
The federal plea does not automatically end Mangione’s separate New York prosecution.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state charges, including second-degree murder. His state trial is scheduled to begin September 8 in Manhattan. A murder conviction could result in a sentence of 25 years to life.
His attorneys could argue that resolving the federal case affects New York’s ability to prosecute him for conduct related to the same killing. Prosecutors are expected to oppose that argument.
That potential legal fight makes Mangione’s federal plea especially significant. What appeared to be two separate criminal trials may now become a battle over whether the state prosecution can proceed as scheduled.
For now, the September murder trial remains on the calendar, leaving the most consequential chapter of the case still ahead.
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