Luigi Mangione pleads guilty to killing health insurance CEO, describes planning

Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty on Friday, August 14, 2026, to federal stalking charges in connection with the 2024 murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione, 28, admitted in federal court in Manhattan to tracking Thompson to an investor conference and fatally shooting him. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced the plea, stating that Mangione targeted Thompson due to grievances against the health insurance industry.

The guilty plea stems from the December 4, 2024, incident in Midtown Manhattan. Mangione is scheduled for sentencing on December 18, 2026, where he faces a maximum potential sentence of life in prison for the federal charges.

Despite the federal plea, Mangione still faces pending state charges, including second-degree murder, weapons, and forgery. His defense attorneys are actively seeking to have these state charges dismissed based on double jeopardy principles, arguing that he should not be prosecuted twice for the same crime. However, state prosecutors have indicated their intent to challenge this motion and proceed with a state trial, which is currently slated to begin in September.