BREAKING: Luigi Mangione defense team discussed guilty plea deal: report

Attorneys for Luigi Mangione are in discussions with federal prosecutors about a potential plea agreement ahead of a scheduled court appearance Monday, according to people familiar with the matter, though those talks are now said to have stalled after appearing close earlier in the week, according to CBS News.

Court proceedings in both the federal and state cases against Mangione have been moving forward since his arrest in December 2024 in connection with the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Prosecutors allege Thompson was shot while walking to a hotel for an investor conference. Surveillance video reportedly showed a masked gunman firing from behind, and police later said ammunition linked to the case included the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose.”

Mangione, 28, was arrested five days after the killing at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, roughly 230 miles from New York City. Authorities say he is an Ivy League graduate from a wealthy Maryland family.

Defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo responded to reporting on the plea discussions in a statement to NBC New York:

“This information attributed to ‘anonymous sources’ is part of a troubling, deliberate pattern by prosecutors and law enforcement to prejudice Luigi, manipulate public opinion, and violate his constitutional right to a fair trial and impartial jury. Every defendant in America is presumed innocent until proven guilty, including Luigi, who has to fight the same charges twice.”

Mangione is currently facing both federal and state charges. Federal prosecutors initially brought four counts, including murder-related charges that were later dismissed by a judge, though he still faces weapons and stalking charges.

In state court, Mangione was originally charged with 11 counts. Several of the more serious charges have already been dismissed by a judge, including terrorism-related murder counts, and a separate gun-related charge was also dropped earlier this year.

Court records show both sides have been preparing for trial since Mangione’s arrest, with proceedings previously scheduled for September in state court and January in federal court.

Thompson, 50, had worked at UnitedHealth Group for two decades and became CEO of its insurance division in 2021. He was killed while walking in Midtown Manhattan ahead of the company’s annual investor conference.
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