{"id":220617,"date":"2026-08-14T21:40:23","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T21:40:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/luigi-mangione-pleads-guilty-to-federal-charges-in-the-killing-of-unitedhealthcares-ceo-nbc-news\/"},"modified":"2026-08-14T21:40:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T21:40:23","slug":"luigi-mangione-pleads-guilty-to-federal-charges-in-the-killing-of-unitedhealthcares-ceo-nbc-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/luigi-mangione-pleads-guilty-to-federal-charges-in-the-killing-of-unitedhealthcares-ceo-nbc-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Luigi Mangione pleads guilty to federal charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare\u2019s CEO – NBC News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The man charged with gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York City street nearly two years ago with a 3-D printed pistol pleaded guilty to federal <\/strong>stalking <\/strong>charges <\/a>in Manhattan on Friday as Thompson\u2019s family looked on.
In his allocution to the court, Luigi Mangione<\/a>, 28, revealed for the first time <\/strong>that in 2024 he posed as a potential investor<\/a> who managed over $50 billion in assets and emailed leadership at <\/strong>the insurance giant <\/strong>to confirm the location of the investors conference so he could track Thompson\u2019s location.
\u201cMy travel to New York and email to UnitedHealthcare was with the intent to shoot Brian Thompson,\u201d Mangione said in his statement. \u201cOn the morning of Dec. 4, 2024, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan and he died.\u201d
The admitted gunman \u2014<\/strong> <\/strong>who is Ivy League-educated and hails from a prominent Baltimore family <\/strong>\u2014<\/strong> said he understood his actions \u201cwould place [Thompson] in fear of death or serious bodily injury\u201d and that \u201c<\/strong>I <\/strong>knew what I was doing was illegal.\u201d
Mangione also told the judge that he was driven to kill Thompson because of his experience with the healthcare system as a patient with a back injury. Prosecutors have previously said that Mangione had no personal connection to UnitedHealthcare and he was never a customer.
In his statement, Mangione mocked the healthcare industry, citing UnitedHealthcare\u2019s reply to his investment ruse. \u201cUnlike my previous interactions with insurers, I received an immediate response within an hour,\u201d Mangione said.
Thompson\u2019s family issued a rare public statement after the plea hearing, calling it \u201can important step toward justice for Brian and for our family.\u201d
\u201cWhile 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,\u201d the statement said. \u201cNow we look to the court to ensure that sentencing reflects the severity of this crime.\u201d
Mangione faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and prosecutors suggested that his sentencing range under federal guidelines would be 24 to 30 years in prison. Prosecutors later clarified that they would be recommending life in prison, the steepest sentence available.
He will be sentenced at a separate hearing on Dec. 18 and the final sentence will be determined by the judge, who has full discretion.
His federal court guilty plea is expected to kick off a double jeopardy fight in state court where he still faces murder charges and the possibility of life in prison. Mangione\u2019s defense is expected to argue that the cases cover the same alleged conduct and that proceeding with a state court trial would amount to a legal violation.
\u201cSince December 2024, the Manhattan D.A.\u2019s 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,\u201d a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney\u2019s office said following the federal hearing. \u201cWhile federal sentencing is pending, we are prepared to litigate the defense motions. The Manhattan D.A.\u2019s Office remains committed to seeking justice for Mr. Thompson and his family.\u201d
Following the guilty plea, Mangione\u2019s lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said, \u201cWe just filed our motion in state court explaining why the state charges must be dismissed under New York\u2019s double jeopardy protections.\u201d
She also discussed Mangione\u2019s rationale.
\u201cAs Luigi explained in court today, he endured years of severe debilitating pain following a broken back while struggling to navigate our healthcare and health insurance systems,\u201d Friedman Agnifilo said.
\u201cHe believed that the system had failed him and destroyed his life,\u201d the attorney added.
The upcoming double jeopardy fight could stall proceedings in New York Supreme Court where he\u2019s set to stand trial Sept. 8. It could also lead to litigation in an appeals court.
In court, Mangione directly answered a standard set of questions from U.S. District Court Judge Margaret Garnett. He said \u201cyes\u201d to whether he understood his right to a jury trial. He also confirmed that he knew he would lose the right to vote, own a firearm and would no longer be eligible to serve on a jury.
He also said he had never been treated for mental illness and that he was clear-headed but that he had taken an antidepressant as a sleep aid <\/strong>in recent days.
Thompson\u2019s family arrived in the courtroom shortly before the proceeding was set to begin. Pat Thompson, the victim\u2019s mother, was in the front row along with other relatives and executives from UnitedHealthcare.
The Thompsons have largely remained out of the public eye since the executive was murdered. Fervent followers of Mangione are believed to be responsible for threats to Thompson\u2019s family in the wake of his killing.
Newly installed Manhattan U.S. Attorney James McDonald was in the front row and lawyers for Mangione filed into the courtroom early.
\u201cWhile the defendant pled guilty, our office does not have a plea agreement with him,\u201d McDonald said outside the courthouse after Mangione\u2019s plea. \u201cInstead, he pled open, which means he pled guilty to all pending counts in the indictment. There are no accommodations or concessions, and we are free to seek the maximum penalty under the law.\u201d
\u201cThe result achieved today now allows our office to seek the maximum penalty allowed, life imprisonment, which, as I\u2019ve conveyed to Mr. Thompson\u2019s family, is what we intend to seek,\u201d McDonald added.
Mangione was charged with two federal counts \u2014 interstate stalking resulting in death and stalking through use of interstate facilities resulting in death. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison and are separate from the state allegations, which include second-degree murder and firearms crimes.
What Luigi Mangione could gain from plea negotiations
For now, there is still a trial scheduled in state court next month. The parties were still awaiting word late Friday afternoon on whether it will be delayed.
When Mangione was first charged in the federal case, he faced a total of four counts, including using a firearm to commit murder, which carried a maximum penalty of death. A judge dismissed that charge earlier this year, along with a second charge.
The brazen killing of Thompson \u2014 a father of two who led the nation\u2019s largest healthcare insurer \u2014 put a spotlight on the country\u2019s health insurance industry and<\/a> widespread frustration over denied claims<\/a>.
Mangione was arrested at a Pennsylvania McDonald\u2019s restaurant Dec. 9, 2024, five days after the killing.
Among the pieces of evidence found by authorities in Mangione\u2019s backpack was a notebook that detailed his apparent grievances against the industry. At the scene, authorities found a bullet and two shell casings that had the words \u201cdelay,\u201d \u201cdeny,\u201d \u201cdepose\u201d written on them.
Mangione\u2019s attorneys had sought to bar the notebook from being introduced as evidence at his trials, arguing authorities obtained it during an illegal search. Judges in both cases rejected that argument.
Tim Stelloh is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.
Adam Reiss is a reporter and producer for NBC and MSNBC.
Jonathan Dienst is chief justice contributor for NBC News and chief investigative reporter for WNBC-TV in New York.
Chloe Atkins reports for the NBC News National Security and Law Unit, based in New York.
Shayna Jacobs is a national reporter for NBC News digital.
© 2026 NBCUniversal Media, LLC<\/p>\n

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news AlertsThere are no new alerts at this timeThe man charged with gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York City street nearly two years ago with a 3-D printed pistol pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges in Manhattan on Friday as Thompson\u2019s family looked on.In his allocution to the court, Luigi Mangione, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":220618,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-220617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-us","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220617","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=220617"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220617\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/220618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=220617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=220617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=220617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}