Luigi Mangione, 28, has pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges in the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, whom he shot outside a New York City hotel on December 4, 2024. Mangione admitted in court that he shot Thompson as the CEO was walking to a conference.
"I shot Mr. Thompson and he died," Mangione told Judge Margaret Garnett. "I understood that my actions would place him in fear of death or bodily injury. I knew what I was doing was illegal."
Mangione's confession came as he pleaded guilty to one count of interstate stalking resulting in death and one count of stalking through the use of interstate facilities resulting in death. Federal murder charges against him were previously dropped, but he still faces a state trial for murder next month.
Mangione stated that years of pain from a broken back led him to learn about the UnitedHealthcare investor conference online. He then posed as an investor managing $50 billion and emailed the company for the event's location. After obtaining the details within an hour, he reportedly 3D-printed a 9mm handgun, equipped it with a silencer, and traveled to New York to carry out the killing.
Mangione faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for the federal stalking charges. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 18. While no formal plea deal is in place, federal sentencing guidelines suggest a prison term of roughly 24 to 30 years, although the judge is not bound by this range.
Thompson's family came face-to-face with Mangione for the first time during the hearing. The family issued a statement expressing gratitude for the federal justice system holding Mangione accountable and called for a sentence reflecting the crime's severity, noting that additional proceedings are pending in New York and Pennsylvania.
Prosecutors emphasized that Mangione has no plea deal and they will seek the maximum sentence. Jamie McDonald, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, stated, "There can be no celebrity in assassination. Mangione attempted to send a public message through violence, but the message that emerges today is very different."
Immediately following the federal hearing, Mangione's legal team filed a motion to dismiss the state murder charges, citing New York's double jeopardy laws, arguing that he is being prosecuted twice for the same conduct. Federal and state governments can prosecute for the same actions because they are considered independent, but New York law allows for double jeopardy protections following a conviction or trial resolution.
James Gagliano, a retired FBI special agent, suggested Mangione's plea might be an attempt to serve his sentence in a federal prison rather than a state facility. Mangione was also recently subject to a ruling that his state trial jury will be anonymous due to the high-profile nature of the case.
Since his arrest five days after the shooting at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Mangione has gained a notable following, with an online defense fund raising over $1.5 million. A spokesperson for the defense fund, Jamie Peck, stated that the support for Mangione reflects an understanding that the American healthcare system commits greater crimes, citing deaths due to lack of access to basic medical care.
Surveillance footage of the incident showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind. Police noted that the ammunition used reportedly had the words 'delay,' 'deny,' and 'depose' written on it, a reference to common insurance industry practices for avoiding claims.