NEW YORK: Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty Friday to two federal stalking counts and admitted killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, 2024.
Mangione, 28, entered the pleas shortly after on August 14; U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett accepted them in Manhattan federal court.
“On the morning of December 4, 2024, I shot Mr Thompson in Manhattan, and he died,” Mangione told the court. He added that he knew his actions violated the law.
Mangione said he learned about UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor conference while experiencing chronic back pain and difficulties with health insurance. He said he then researched the event and posed as an investor to obtain its location.
The Maryland resident also admitted using a 3D printer to make part of the gun. He equipped the weapon with a silencer and travelled to New York intending to shoot Thompson.
Mangione pleaded guilty to interstate stalking resulting in death and cyberstalking resulting in death. Each count carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, according to the US Justice Department.
No plea agreement exists between Mangione and federal prosecutors. Judge Garnett scheduled sentencing for December 18.
Mangione’s lawyers then asked a state court to dismiss his remaining second-degree murder, weapons and forgery charges. They argued that another prosecution would violate New York’s double-jeopardy law.
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However, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said it would contest the motion. The separate state trial remains scheduled to begin September 8, ABC News reported.
Thompson’s family called the guilty plea an important step towards justice. They said further legal proceedings remained ahead.
