Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty in New York federal court on Friday to stalking UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, the executive he fatally shot on a midtown Manhattan street in December 2024. Immediately after the plea, his lawyers filed a motion in New York state court asking a judge to throw out state murder and firearms charges under double jeopardy law.
Mangione, 28, faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison when he is sentenced on Dec. 18. Federal sentencing guidelines, however, recommend a range of 24 to 30 years. Thompson’s employer, UnitedHealthcare, is a division of UnitedHealth Group and the largest health insurer in the United States.
Thompson, 50, was gunned down on Dec. 4, 2024, on the sidewalk outside the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan. Police arrested Mangione five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after a customer recognized him from a surveillance photo.
During the hearing before Judge Margaret Garnett, Mangione described the pain he said he had endured for years, saying “after years of enduring severe pain from a broken back, navigating the obstacles of the health insurance system and witnessing similar experiences of countless others, I learned that United Healthcare would be holding its annual investor conference in New York City on December 4, 2024, although the specific location was not publicly disclosed.” He added that he then “emailed United Healthcare leadership posing as an investor at a firm managing over $50 billion in assets and requesting information about the conference” and said, “Unlike my previous interactions with insurers, I received an immediate response within an hour.”
He then described the weapon he said he assembled, saying “Before traveling to New York, I used a 3-D printer to make part of a gun, and I equipped the gun with the silencer and magazine.” He also said, “My travel to New York and email to United Healthcare was with the intent to shoot Brian Thompson.” Then, addressing the shooting itself, Mangione, who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020, said, “I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan, and he died. When I did so, I understood that my actions would place him in fear of death or serious bodily injury. I knew what I was doing was illegal.”
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald said he will seek a life sentence for the charges of interstate stalking resulting in Thompson’s death and use of electronic communications to stalk the CEO. McDonald and Amanda Houle, chief of the office’s criminal division, sat in the front row of court next to Thompson’s widow and family during Friday’s plea hearing, MS NOW reported. UnitedHealthcare executives sat in the row behind them.
In a statement after the plea, Thompson’s family said, “Today’s guilty plea marks an important step toward justice for Brian and for our family. While 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.” They added, “Now we look to the court to ensure that sentencing reflects the severity of this crime. We remain mindful that additional proceedings in New York and Pennsylvania are still to come, and we will continue to seek the justice Brian deserves.”
Mangione’s plea came weeks before jury selection is scheduled to start for his Manhattan Supreme Court trial on a charge of murdering Thompson. It is not clear if that trial will begin on Sept. 8 given defense attorneys’ motion asking a judge to toss the state charges. Under New York’s double jeopardy law, a person cannot be separately prosecuted for offenses based upon the same criminal act, a state appeals court has held.
Karen Friedman Agnifilo, one of Mangione’s lawyers, told reporters after the hearing, “Despite this being a single isolated event, Mr. Mangione has been unfairly treated since the outset in every way.” She added, “He’s been treated differently from every other defendant charged with this offense in New York.” She also said, “As 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. Like the thousands of people who have reached out since this tragedy to share their own experiences, he believed that system had failed him and destroyed his life.”
A spokeswoman for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office is prosecuting Mangione in state court, said in a statement the office would fight the dismissal effort. “Since December 2024, the Manhattan D.A.’s 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,” the spokeswoman said. “We are encouraged that Mr. Thompson’s family received a measure of accountability today. While federal sentencing is pending, we are prepared to litigate the defense motions. The Manhattan D.A.’s Office remains committed to seeking justice for Mr. Thompson and his family.”
UnitedHealth Group, in a statement, said, “Brian Thompson’s life was cut short by an act of violence that devastated everyone who knew and loved him.” The company added, “We are grateful to law enforcement for bringing Brian’s murderer to justice, and our thoughts remain with Brian’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
The guilty plea resolves the federal case but leaves the broader legal fight unresolved. Mangione is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 18, while the state court must decide whether the double jeopardy motion will derail the murder trial. For now, the family of Brian Thompson says it has taken an important step toward justice, even as more proceedings loom.
