Luigi Mangione, 28, pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges on Friday in connection with the December 2024 shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. During the hearing in federal court, Mangione admitted to stalking Thompson and traveling to New York with a 3-D printed pistol, stating that he shot Thompson in Manhattan.
The plea follows a December 2024 incident in which Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two, was fatally shot while walking alone in midtown Manhattan. At the time, Thompson was preparing to host an investor conference for the health care company. Federal prosecutors stated Friday that they possessed a significant amount of evidence against Mangione, including DNA and fingerprints collected from the scene.
In the courtroom, Mangione expressed his concerns regarding the U.S. health care system and voiced no remorse for his actions. The proceedings were attended by Thompson’s family. Earlier this year, a federal judge had dismissed other charges that could have carried the death penalty. Mangione is currently scheduled for sentencing on the federal stalking charges in December.
For the defendant, a successful double jeopardy argument could result in the dismissal of state charges, potentially sparing him a longer prison sentence. Defense attorneys are expected to move for a dismissal based on the federal plea, while state prosecutors maintain that their case is distinct and should proceed. The scale of public interest in the case is reflected in a legal defense fund for Mangione that has collected more than $1.5 million from donors who characterize his actions as a protest against the health care system.
The outcome of the state trial will determine whether Mangione faces additional penalties beyond the federal sentencing scheduled for December. The case sets a potential precedent for how New York courts apply double jeopardy protections when federal and state charges arise from the same violent incident. A separate judge will decide whether the state trial moves forward as planned next month or if the federal plea effectively ends the state’s prosecution.