Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Federal Stalking Charges in Brian Thompson Killing
Luigi Mangione has pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges connected to the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, marking a dramatic reversal in the high-profile case.
Mangione entered the plea Friday in federal court in Manhattan after previously pleading not guilty.
The remaining federal charges involve stalking resulting in death, after separate federal murder and firearms counts were dismissed earlier in the case.
Guilty Plea Could Carry Life Sentence
The federal stalking charges carry the possibility of life in prison without parole.
Mangione, 28, is accused of stalking Thompson before the UnitedHealthcare executive was fatally shot outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4, 2024.
His arrest came five days later in Pennsylvania following a nationwide manhunt.
State Murder Case Still Pending
Mangione also faces a separate New York state murder case, with jury selection scheduled to begin in September.
His federal guilty plea could trigger a new legal battle over whether the state prosecution can continue under New York’s double-jeopardy protections.
Manhattan prosecutors are expected to oppose any effort to dismiss the state case.
The guilty plea represents one of the most significant developments yet in a case that has drawn national attention since Thompson’s killing.
