Luigi Mangione’s attorneys discussed possible plea deal with feds ahead of trials, sources say

Lawyers for murder suspect Luigi Mangione had talks with federal prosecutors about a possible plea deal in advance of a scheduled court hearing Monday, sources familiar with the matter said.

An agreement appeared close this week but has since fallen aside, the sources said. News of plea talks in the federal case comes after defense attorneys in the state murder case suggested this month that they might seek a psychiatric defense for Mangione. The defense then withdrew its notice that it planned to pursue a defense that Mangione suffers from “extreme emotional disturbance.”

Mangione faces both federal and state charges in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024. He has pleaded not guilty.

Legal experts say plea talks are common before most trials. NBC News legal analyst Danny Cevallos said that if any plea deal is reached in the federal case, New York law may bar a successive state prosecution based on the same conduct.

Spokespersons for the U.S. attorney, the FBI and the Manhattan district attorney’s office all declined to comment.

Mangione attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo gave the following 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.”

In a filing to the court released Thursday evening, a federal prosecutor said that at Monday’s hearing, the parties “will be prepared to address any questions the Court may have concerning the parties’ respective proposed juror questionnaires and to discuss matters related to scheduling.”

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Luigi Mangione's attorneys withdraw psychiatric defense

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Mangione’s lawyers and prosecutors for both the state and the federal government had been preparing for trials since Mangione, 28, was arrested on Dec. 9, 2024, five days after Thompson was killed on a midtown sidewalk. The state and federal trials had been scheduled to begin in September and January, respectively.

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The killing set off a nationwide conversation about the health insurance industry and focused national attention on Mangione, who was decried by some as a violent extremist and defended by others as an avatar of rage over the insurance industry.

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Federal prosecutors brought four charges, including two terrorism-related murder charges that were later dismissed by a district judge in New York. He still faced stalking charges heading toward the start of the trial.

Mangione originally faced 11 state charges. But in September, state Judge Gregory Carro tossed out two of the more serious counts: first-degree murder in furtherance of an act of terrorism and second-degree murder as a crime of terrorism.

Mangione, 28, had pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges. His federal trial, which involved stalking charges, was set to begin Oct. 13. He could spend his life in prison if he is convicted in either case.

Thompson, 50, was killed as he walked to a Manhattan hotel for UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference. Security video showed a masked man shooting him from behind. Police say “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.

Thompson worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group for 20 years and became CEO of its insurance arm in 2021.

Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. At the May 18 hearing, Carro ruled that a gun and a notebook that prosecutors say link Mangione to the killing can be used as evidence.

The gun, a 3D-printed pistol, matches the one used to kill Thompson, prosecutors said. The notebook describes wanting to “wack” a health insurance executive and rebelling against “the deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel.”

CORRECTION (June 29, 2026, 3:50 p.m.): A previous version of this article misstated the federal charges that Mangione is facing. It is two counts of stalking, not stalking and weapons charges.