Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Federal Stalking Charges in Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson

Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty Friday in Manhattan federal court to two counts of interstate stalking resulting in death, admitting he shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. In court, Mangione said he traveled to New York with the intention of killing Thompson after contacting UnitedHealthcare while posing as an investor ahead of a company conference. The federal murder charges, which had carried the potential for the death penalty, were previously thrown out, leaving Mangione facing a maximum of life in prison on the stalking counts.

His sentencing is scheduled for December 18, and the judge noted he will be required to serve at least 85% of any sentence imposed. His lawyers immediately argued the federal guilty plea triggers double jeopardy protections, meaning he cannot be prosecuted separately in New York state court on the second-degree murder charge. That state trial had been scheduled to begin jury selection within weeks, with a January 2027 trial date also on the calendar for the federal case before the plea was entered.