Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty in Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty Friday to federal charges stemming from the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, admitting in open court that he deliberately shot the health insurance executive on a Manhattan sidewalk.
Mangione, 28, entered guilty pleas to two federal stalking charges resulting in death during an appearance in Manhattan federal court. The dramatic reversal comes after he previously pleaded not guilty and spent months preparing to fight both federal and New York state prosecutions.
During the hearing, Mangione directly acknowledged responsibility for Thompson’s death. He told the judge that he traveled to New York, tracked Thompson’s movements and ultimately shot the 50-year-old executive outside a Midtown hotel on Dec. 4, 2024.
Prosecutors say Mangione carefully planned the killing after developing intense grievances against the American health insurance industry. He researched UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference and posed as an investor as part of his effort to determine where Thompson would be.
Mangione admitted using a 3D-printed firearm equipped with a silencer to carry out the shooting. Shell casings recovered from the scene contained the words “delay” and “deny,” which prosecutors connected to Mangione’s anger toward health insurers and their handling of medical claims.
Thompson’s widow was inside the courtroom as Mangione admitted responsibility for killing her husband. The guilty plea eliminates the need for a federal trial that could have resulted in Mangione spending the rest of his life behind bars if convicted.
The federal case had already changed significantly before Friday’s plea. More serious federal charges that could have exposed Mangione to the death penalty were dismissed earlier this year, leaving prosecutors with the stalking counts. Each remaining charge carries the possibility of life imprisonment.
Mangione is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 18. The guilty plea does not guarantee a specific sentence, meaning the federal judge will ultimately determine how much time he spends in prison.
His legal problems are also far from finished. Mangione still faces a separate New York state prosecution for second-degree murder and weapons offenses, with jury selection scheduled to begin Sept. 8.
His attorneys are now challenging that prosecution on double-jeopardy grounds, arguing that the state should not be permitted to prosecute Mangione for the same killing after his federal conviction. Manhattan prosecutors are expected to fight that effort, leaving another major legal battle ahead.
Mangione’s guilty plea marks the most significant development in the case since his arrest following a five-day manhunt in December 2024. After more than a year and a half of legal maneuvering, Mangione has now admitted in federal court that he planned and carried out the killing of Brian Thompson, while the question of whether he will still face a state murder trial remains unresolved.