NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty Friday to two federal stalking charges stemming from the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel.
Mangione, 28, of Maryland, entered the pleas before U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett. His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 18.
Each charge carries a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Prosecutors said they will seek a life sentence.
Quick Facts:
- Defendant: Luigi Nicholas Mangione, 28, of Maryland
- Victim: Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare
- Shooting: Dec. 4, 2024, in Midtown Manhattan
- Arrest: Dec. 9, 2024, in Altoona, Pennsylvania
- Guilty pleas: Two federal stalking charges resulting in death
- Maximum penalty: Life in prison on each count
- Sentencing: Dec. 18, 2026
- Judge: U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett
- State case: Separate New York murder and weapons charges remain pending
Mangione admitted traveling to New York City and tracking Thompson before shooting him from behind shortly before 6:45 a.m. on Dec. 4, 2024. Thompson was walking to a UnitedHealthcare investor conference when he was killed.
Mangione had arrived in New York more than a week before the shooting and conducted surveillance near Thompson’s hotel and the conference venue, according to court records.
After the shooting, Mangione fled New York. Police arrested him five days later at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Authorities said Mangione was carrying a fraudulent driver’s license, a firearm and other evidence connecting him to the killing.
Mangione pleaded guilty to interstate stalking resulting in death and stalking through the use of interstate facilities resulting in death. He did not plead guilty to a federal murder charge.
A federal judge previously dismissed two other counts, including a murder charge that could have made Mangione eligible for the death penalty.
Mangione still faces a separate New York state prosecution involving Thompson’s killing. His attorneys are seeking dismissal of that case on double-jeopardy grounds.
Related coverage
- Mangione admits killing UnitedHealthcare CEO in federal court — Reuters
- Federal charges originally filed against Luigi Mangione — Justice Department
- Justice Department’s 2025 death-penalty announcement — Justice Department