Luigi Mangione pleads guilty in federal case, admits to shooting Brian Thompson

Luigi Mangione entered a guilty plea in his federal case at a court appearance in Manhattan Friday morning, admitting to the judge that he shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown hotel in 2024.

Mangione, 28, faced both federal and state trials in New York for the deadly shooting. He had previously pleaded not guilty in both cases.

Sentencing in the federal case will take place on Dec. 18, with Mangione facing a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.

His state trial is currently set to begin in September. Mangione’s defense team has filed for state charges to be dismissed under New York’s double jeopardy law, and the Manhattan district attorney’s office said they’re prepared to fight that move for dismissal. 

What happened in court

Thompson’s family arrived in the courtroom at around 10:50 a.m. The hearing, which had been set to start at 11 a.m., got started a bit late. The courtroom had filled with members of the press and the public. 

Mangione entered the court at around 11:10 a.m. with his feet shackled and his hands behind his back. He was wearing tan prison clothing with a white T-shirt underneath. 

Just before 11:15 a.m., Mangione’s defense team told the judge Mangione “is prepared to plead guilty to the indictment at this time.” 

The judge asked Mangione if that was correct. 

“Yes,” Mangione told the judge. 

The judge asked Mangione a series of questions about his background and use of medications and drugs. The judge then found Mangione to be fully competent to enter the plea.

The judge told Mangione that the maximum possible sentence is life in prison followed by supervised release. The judge added that there’s no parole in the federal system, although good behavior and other programs can impact how long he will spend in prison. He will be required to serve 85% of the sentence, the judge said.

The judge pointed out that there’s no plea agreement between the defense and prosecution, and Mangione’s defense attorney said that’s correct.

Mangione’s admission in court

Mangione then told the court in his own words what he did.

He told the court that he had for years endured severe pain for a broken back and had navigated the health insurance system. He told the court he learned about the UnitedHealthcare annual investor conference in New York even though it wasn’t publicized, and traveled to it. He told the court he posed as an investor to find out more information about the conference.

He told the court he used a 3D printer to make parts of the gun, and traveled to New York with the gun, silencer, and magazine with “the intent to shoot Brian Thompson.”

“On the morning of December 4, 2024, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan and he died,” Mangione said. “When I did so, I understood that my actions would place him in fear of death or serious bodily injury. I knew what I was doing was illegal.”

He said he shot Thompson in Manhattan knowing it would place him in fear of death or serious bodily injury.

Prosecutors then spoke in court, reviewing the evidence against Mangione. They pointed to video capturing the shooting, as well as Mangione fleeing the scene on the bicycle, his arrest in Altoona, Pennsylvania, the recovered pistol and shell casings, as well as DNA found at the crime scene. Prosecutors said entries in Mangione’s notebook expressed his desire to kill a healthcare executive.

“Mr. Mangione, how do you now plead to counts one and two of the indictment?” the judge asked.

“Guilty,” Mangione said.

“I will accept your guilty plea,” the judge said.

About the charges

Mangione initially faced four federal charges in Thompson’s killing. Two of those charges against him, one of which brought the possibility of the death penalty — murder through use of a firearm and an additional firearms charge — were dismissed earlier this year, and federal prosecutors said they would not appeal that decision.

That left federal stalking charges against him, which brought the possibility of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Jury selection in the federal case had been set to begin in January.

Speculation about a possible plea deal had been rampant since Tuesday, when prosecutors and Mangione’s defense team sent a letter to the court requesting a Friday conference regarding the federal case.

Luigi Mangione’s state trial and double jeopardy concerns

Mangione’s attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo spoke after Mangione entered his guilty plea to the federal charges.

“Despite this being a single isolated event, Mr. Mangione has been unfairly treated since the outset in every way, and has successfully fought off terrorism charges and the death penalty, while also fighting at the same time two simultaneous prosecutions in two jurisdictions who are trying to punish him twice for the exact conduct,” Agnifilo said. “New York law does not permit a person to be prosecuted and punished twice for the exact same crime under a statute that covers successive prosecutions, it’s also known as the double jeopardy law.

“Today’s guilty plea triggers this statute, and we just filed our motion in state court explaining why the state charges must be dismissed under New York’s double jeopardy protections,” Agnifilo said.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office released a statement saying they’re going to fight to keep their prosecution going.

“Since December 2024, the Manhattan D.A.’s Office has been tirelessly preparing to pursue a trial conviction in New York State Supreme Court for the alleged cold-blooded murder of Brian Thompson. We are encouraged that Mr. Thompson’s family received a measure of accountability today.  While federal sentencing is pending, we are prepared to litigate the defense motions. The Manhattan D.A.’s Office remains committed to seeking justice for Mr. Thompson and his family,” a spokesperson for the Manhattan DA’s office said.

Mangione’s state trial is set to begin in September.

The state case, in which he faces second-degree murder charges, among others, also carries with it the possibility of life in prison.

Double jeopardy refers to a law stating “a person may not be twice prosecuted for the same offense,” although there are a number of exceptions. 

“They have a live argument. There is a vigorous double jeopardy statute in New York state. It’s very liberal. New York state does not let you retry somebody for the same activity. But there’s an argument here that the federal stalking charges are different than the New York state intentional murder charge. They have different elements. They have a different focus. I think that’s going to be a live legal argument and I’m interested to see how that plays out,” legal expert Rich Schoenstein said. 

Schoenstein said he thinks a decision on whether or not the murder charge can move forward needs to be made before the trial gets started, which means either a series of briefings before the trial gets underway as scheduled in September, “or the judge is going to have to push back jury selection a little bit.”

So why plead guilty now?

“Pleading guilty is a possible inroad to a lighter sentence by the judge,” Schoenstein said. “Also, there’s been a lot of speculation that he might prefer to stay in a federal prison rather than a state prison, so he wants to make sure that he’s found guilty of the federal charges.”

Schoenstein said Mangione’s legal team is hoping that the guilty plea will derail the state case entirely.

Thompson family reacts

The family of Brian Thompson released a statement following the guilty plea, reading:

“Today’s guilty plea marks an important step toward justice for Brian and for our family. 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.”

“Brian Thompson’s life was cut short by an act of violence that devastated everyone who knew and loved him. 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,” UnitedHealthcare said in a statement.

Top law enforcement officials on the guilty plea

“The defendant committed this murder in an attempt to draw public attention to his dislike of certain business, but we live in a civilized society governed by the rule of law. We debate, we disagree, we protest. We do not commit murder,” U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald said. “No grievance, political belief, or ideological cause can ever justify murder. There can be no celebrity in assassination. Any person who celebrates, encourages, or excuses actions like these is fundamentally wrong.”

McDonald pointed out that while Mangione pleaded guilty, “our office does not have a plea agreement with him,” adding “we are free to seek the maximum penalty under the law.”

“This is an important moment of accountability,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

Tisch lauded the NYPD’s efforts to track down Mangione, calling it “an enormous investigative effort.”

“And to those who idolize Luigi Mangione, I say this. Violence is not a cause, murder is not a message, and a killer is certainly not a hero,” Tisch said.

Evidence in the Luigi Mangione case

Schoenstein said the plea isn’t surprising considering the substantial evidence against Mangione.

Key evidence seized during Mangione’s Pennsylvania arrest had been expected to be admitted in the federal trial, including a 3D-printed handgun, loaded magazine, a notebook and more.

Thompson, 50, was killed on Dec. 4, 2024, as he arrived at a hotel for UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference. The killing  of the husband and father of two was caught on surveillance video, which showed Thompson being shot in the back as he walked down the street. Police say the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on the ammunition, echoing a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.

Thompson’s killing set off a frantic multistate manhunt that ended with Mangione’s arrest at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days later.