- Luigi Mangione could plead guilty as soon as Friday to federal criminal charges tied to the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, people familiar with the matter said.
- A hearing has been scheduled for Friday morning at the joint request of prosecutors and the defense, and US District Judge Margaret Garnett will need to sign off on any plea agreement.
- Friday's hearing was hastily scheduled following the final pre-trial hearing Tuesday in Mangione's state case, whose trial is scheduled to begin on September 8 with jury selection.
- Plea negotiations are ongoing between Mangione’s attorneys and federal prosecutors, but sources caution talks remain fluid and nothing is final until announced in court.
- A federal plea would likely raise questions about whether the state prosecution moves forward, although the immediate impact is unclear; if Mangione were to plead guilty to federal charges, his attorneys would likely aim to strike a deal that would give them strong legal standing to argue the state case should be dismissed on double jeopardy grounds.
- Both a lawyer for Mangione and a spokesman for the US attorney’s office declined to comment.
Luigi Mangione is poised to potentially plead guilty to federal charges linked to the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as early as Friday. The hearing, requested by both the prosecution and defense, follows ongoing plea negotiations that remain fluid, according to sources.6
Mangione, 28, faces charges in both federal and state courts. He previously pleaded not guilty in both cases. In the Southern District of New York, he faces federal stalking charges related to Thompson's death, while in state court, he is charged with second-degree murder and weapons offenses.
The upcoming hearing was scheduled hastily after a final pre-trial hearing on Tuesday in the state case, which is set to begin on September 8 with jury selection. State prosecutors have accused Mangione's legal team of attempting to dismiss the state case on double jeopardy grounds, which prohibits a defendant from being tried twice for the same crime.
If Mangione pleads guilty to the federal charges, his attorneys may seek a deal that could bolster their argument for dismissing the state case based on double jeopardy, although the immediate implications of such a plea remain uncertain.
US District Judge Margaret Garnett will need to approve any plea agreement, and both sides are awaiting the court's decision.
“A federal plea could raise questions about the state case, with Mangione's attorneys likely to argue double jeopardy to seek dismissal. The state trial is scheduled to begin September 8 with jury selection, and Judge Margaret Garnett must approve any deal.”
