Luigi Mangione pleads guilty in federal case over insurance CEO killing
Mangione, 28, had previously pleaded not guilty in April 2025 to murder, weapons, and stalking charges brought by Manhattan federal prosecutors.
Luigi Mangione entered a guilty plea on Friday in a federal criminal case related to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City. The guilty plea avoids a federal trial over the brazen crime, which garnered national attention and criticism from public officials. The outcome may also permit Mangione to seek dismissal of state murder charges and delay an upcoming state trial.
In April 2025, Mangione initially pleaded not guilty to murder, weapons, and stalking charges filed by Manhattan federal prosecutors. However, on January 2026, US District Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed the murder and weapons charges due to legal technicalities, eliminating the possibility of a death penalty for Mangione but leaving him facing life in prison without parole if found guilty on stalking charges.
Mangione's federal trial was set for January, but his separate state case involving terrorism, murder, weapons, and forgery charges remains. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg dropped the terrorism charges in September 2025. A trial for these charges is scheduled for September 8 before Justice Gregory Carro in Manhattan. If convicted of second-degree murder in the federal case, Mangione could face 25 years to life in prison.
The dismissal of the federal charges might allow Mangione to pursue a dismissal of the murder charge under New York's double jeopardy law, which protects individuals from being prosecuted twice for the same conduct. Bragg's office opposes this move, arguing that the federal and state charges are separate. The resolution of the federal case could lead to an emergency appeal.
Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group's insurance division, was fatally shot outside a hotel on December 4, 2024, during an investor conference. The incident sparked media coverage and social media discussion, highlighting public frustration with health insurance industry practices. Mangione was apprehended in Pennsylvania following the crime.
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