Luigi Mangione is expected to plead guilty in a federal stalking case related to the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to a report by the New York Times on Thursday. The report, which cited two people with knowledge of the matter, indicates that the plea would resolve federal charges against the man accused of shooting Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk. A federal judge must still accept the plea for it to be finalized.
The anticipated plea follows a series of legal developments in both federal and state courts. In April 2025, Mangione pleaded not guilty to federal charges of murder, weapons possession, and stalking. However, in January 2026, U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed the federal murder and weapons charges based on legal technicalities. This ruling removed the possibility of the death penalty in the federal case, leaving stalking as the primary charge.
Parallel to the federal proceedings, Mangione faces separate state-level charges brought by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. In December 2024, he pleaded not guilty to state charges including murder, terrorism, and forgery. A judge later dismissed the terrorism charges in September 2025. The state murder trial is currently scheduled to begin on September 8 before Justice Gregory Carro in Manhattan.
For the public and the health insurance industry, the case has served as a focal point for discussions regarding insurance practices. The scale of the legal response has involved both federal prosecutors and the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg. A guilty plea in the federal case would eliminate the need for a federal trial, which had most recently been scheduled for January, potentially shifting the full focus of the prosecution to the upcoming state murder trial in September.
The resolution of the federal stalking charge does not end the legal process for Mangione. The state murder trial scheduled for September 8 will determine his liability for the killing itself under New York law. If the federal plea is accepted, it establishes a conviction for the stalking behavior documented by prosecutors leading up to the shooting. Observers will notice the impact of these developments in the scheduling of court appearances and the finality of the federal government's role in the prosecution.
Brian Thompson was the head of the insurance division for UnitedHealth Group, one of the nation's largest healthcare companies. The shooting occurred in the early morning outside a Manhattan hotel. Mangione was identified following a five-day manhunt and the release of surveillance footage before being apprehended in Pennsylvania.