Mangione Expected to Plead Guilty to Federal Stalking Charges

Luigi Mangione, the 28-year-old man accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is expected to plead guilty to federal stalking charges at a hearing scheduled for Friday, August 14, 2026. The anticipated plea, reported by multiple sources familiar with the matter, could have significant legal ramifications for his separate state-level murder trial, which is set to begin jury selection on September 8.

Mangione was arrested on December 9, 2024, in connection with the shooting of Thompson on a midtown Manhattan street on December 4, 2024. The crime, which was captured on surveillance video, sparked a nationwide manhunt and generated widespread public attention. While the act was widely condemned, Mangione also garnered a degree of public sympathy from some who viewed him as a symbol of frustration with the American healthcare system.

He faces two separate legal tracks: federal charges of stalking resulting in death and New York state charges of second-degree murder. A federal judge previously dismissed a murder charge that had carried the possibility of the death penalty. Mangione has pleaded not guilty in both cases.

A special hearing has been set for Friday at...