Luigi Mangione pleads guilty to stalking UnitedHealthcare CEO before shooting
What's the story
Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges. The 28-year-old admitted in a Manhattan federal court that he stalked Thompson with the intent to kill him before carrying out the shooting. "I shot Mr. Thompson, and he died," Mangione told the court during his hearing on Friday.
Crime details
Mangione posed as an investor to get information about Thompson
Mangione confessed to researching Thompson and the UnitedHealthcare investor conference venue before traveling to New York.
He shot Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel in December 2024.
"After years of enduring pain from a broken back," Mangione said, he learned about the conference.
The location was not publicly posted, so he researched it himself and posed as an investor managing over $15 billion in assets to get information from UnitedHealthcare leadership via email.
Legal proceedings
Mangione faces life sentence for stalking charges
Mangione initially faced a wider range of federal charges, including murder and weapons offenses. However, these were dismissed in January 2026 by Judge Margaret Garnett over legal issues.
He still faces federal stalking charges, which could lead to life without parole.
During the hearing, Judge Garnett warned Mangione that pleading guilty could expose him to a lengthy prison sentence with no possibility of parole in the federal system.
Ongoing trial
He has also pleaded not guilty to state charges
Mangione has also pleaded not guilty to state charges in New York, including murder and weapons offenses. His state trial is set to begin on September 8.
If convicted of second-degree murder, he could face a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
The resolution of the federal case could allow Mangione to seek dismissal of the state murder charge under New York's double jeopardy protections.