Luigi Mangione expected to plead guilty to federal stalking charges

Luigi Mangione, accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan in 2024, is expected to plead guilty to federal stalking charges on Friday, according to reporting by the New York Times.

Mangione is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Manhattan at 11 a.m. for a pretrial conference with Judge Margaret Garnett. The hearing was requested in a court filing on Tuesday by both prosecutors and defense lawyers.

The specifics of Mangione's plea, including which charges he will plead guilty to, were not immediately clear. According to the Times, he could change his mind at any moment before the hearing.

Federal murder charges against Mangione were dismissed earlier this year. He remains separately charged in New York state court with several counts of second-degree murder in connection with Thompson's death. Those charges could result in a sentence of 25 years to life. Mangione's state trial is scheduled to begin on September 8.

A guilty plea in federal court could jeopardize the state case, according to the Times. Mangione appeared in state court for a pretrial hearing on Tuesday, where a judge ruled on jury-related matters in the case.

Thompson was killed on a Midtown Manhattan street in December 2024. Mangione was arrested weeks later and has been held in custody since his apprehension.