Attorneys for Luigi Mangione, who is accused of killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in 2024, are meeting federal prosecutors on Friday amid U.S. media reports about a potential plea agreement.
Mangione faces two federal stalking charges, each carrying a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole. It remains unclear which specific charges are under discussion for a plea deal.
"There's a conference scheduled for 11 am on Friday, and that's all we can say at this time," Jamie McDonald, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, stated this week.
In addition to the federal charges, Mangione faces a separate state trial. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges in both cases.
Discussions of a plea deal do not guarantee an agreement will be reached, and such arrangements are subject to court approval. Federal prosecutors brought the stalking charges alleging Mangione traveled and used surveillance with the intent to kill Thompson. A federal judge previously dismissed two other charges in January, one of which could have resulted in a death penalty sentence.
Mangione's attorneys have previously argued against being tried in both state and federal court. Currently, judges overseeing both cases have allowed the trials to proceed.
However, if Mangione were to plead guilty in the federal case, his attorneys might use that to argue that the state case violates the principle of double jeopardy, which prohibits prosecution for the same crime twice. New York's state constitution also includes a prohibition on double jeopardy, which could impact the state trial if invoked.
"If a federal prosecution has been completed on a matter, the state cannot prosecute the matter on those same facts," said Mitchell Epner, a white-collar attorney and former federal prosecutor.
Mangione's state trial is scheduled to begin on September 8, while the federal trial is slated for January 2027.