The man charged with gunning down United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York City street two years ago is expected to plead guilty to stalking charges in Manhattan federal court Friday, according to sources familiar with the matter.Luigi Mangione, 28, has a pretrial conference scheduled for 11 a.m.The terms of a potential plea agreement remain unclear.
Sources familiar with the matter said Thursday that negotiations were ongoing and nothing was final until Mangione accepted a deal.That potential decision could be reversed during the hearing.Federal prosecutors and defense attorneys declined to comment Thursday.
Mangione was charged with two federal counts — interstate stalking resulting in death and stalking through use of interstate facilities resulting in death — though it isn’t clear if he will plead guilty to both.The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison and are separate from the state allegations, which include second-degree murder and firearms crimes.01:35What Luigi Mangione could gain from plea negotiations00:0000:00Mangione’s trial in the state case is expected to begin early next month.He pleaded not guilty in both cases and previously faced two additional federal counts, including using a firearm to commit murder, which carried a maximum penalty of death.
A judge dismissed that charge earlier this year.The brazen killing of Thompson — a father of two who led the nation’s largest healthcare insurer — put a spotlight on the country’s health insurance industry and widespread frustration over denied claims.Mangione was arrested at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s on Dec.
9, 2024, five days after Thompson was fatally shot outside a Manhattan hotel that was hosting an investors’ conference.Among the pieces of evidence found by authorities in Mangione’s backpack was a notebook that detailed his apparent grievances against the industry.At the scene, authorities found a bullet and two shell casings that had the words “del...