NewzMangione was charged by both federal and state prosecutors with ambushing Thompson, outside a New York City hotel on Dec. 4, 2024, as the insurance executive walked to UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference. Separate state trial scheduled to start early next month
NEW YORK (AP) — Luigi Mangione is scheduled to be in federal court Friday for a hearing at which he's expected to plead guilty in connection with the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to a person familiar… Previous plea talks in June broke down.Lawyers for Mangione and the Justice Department declined comment prior to the late-morning court hearing, which was hastily requested by prosecutors and defense lawyers earlier this week.Mangione, 28, was charged by both federal and state prosecutors with ambushing Thompson, 50, outside a New York City hotel on Dec. It is unclear whether that trial would go forward if Mangione pleaded guilty in the federal case.Mangione faces two federal charges that he stalked Thompson to cause his death.
Both the federal and state cases could lead to a life prison sentence. A federal judge earlier this year tossed out additional charges that could have exposed Mangione to a potential death penalty.Mangione had complained about the prospect of two trials, telling a judge in February: “It’s the same trial twice. Double jeopardy by any commonsense definition.”Under New York law, a state prosecution could potentially be barred if the federal case is resolved first.
The state’s double jeopardy protections kick in if a jury has been sworn in a prior prosecution, such as a federal case, or if that prosecution ends in a guilty plea. Mangione’s cases involve different charges arising from the same course of conduct.In a letter last month, state prosecutors objected to the possibility of a guilty plea in the federal case wiping out the state case.U.S. Garnett has delivered some setbacks to the defense, including ruling in January that prosecutors could use items collected from Mangione’s backpack during his arrest as evidence against him.They included a 3D-printed pistol that investigators said matched the one used to kill Thompson and a notebook in which authorities say Mangione described his intent to kill…
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