Luigi Mangione pleads guilty in federal case, admits killing insurance CEO

Resolving the federal case could allow Mangione to seek dismissal of the murder charge under New York’s double jeopardy law

Luigi Mangione admitted in court on Friday to killing a health insurance executive and pleaded guilty to federal charges of stalking the executive with the intent to kill him.

The guilty plea will avert a federal trial in the closely watched case over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a brazen crime that was condemned by public officials but became emblematic of Americans’ frustration with health insurance industry practices. It could also allow him to seek dismissal of state murder charges and delay an coming trial in that case.

Mangione, 28, previously pleaded not guilty in April 2025 to murder, weapons and stalking charges brought by Manhattan federal prosecutors. US District Judge Margaret Garnett threw out the murder and weapons charges over legal technicalities in a surprise ruling in January 2026.

The decision eliminated the possibility that Mangione would face the death penalty in the federal case, though he still faces a possible sentence of life without parole if convicted on the remaining stalking charges. His federal trial was most recently set for January.

Mangione separately pleaded not guilty in December 2024 to state terrorism, murder, weapons and forgery charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The terrorism charges were thrown out by a judge in September 2025.