Attorneys for Luigi Mangione, the man charged in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York, are scheduled to meet federal prosecutors on Friday amid U.S. media reports that a plea agreement may be under discussion.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York confirmed that a conference is set for 11 a.m. Friday, but offered no additional details. Mangione faces two federal charges of stalking resulting in death, each carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison; it is not yet clear which charges are the subject of the talks.
Mangione separately faces a state trial in Thompson’s death and has pleaded not guilty to all charges in both cases. Any negotiated deal would still need court approval and typically requires a separate hearing for the defendant to enter a new plea. Legal experts caution that plea discussions often fall apart before a final agreement is reached.
Federal prosecutors allege Mangione traveled between states and conducted electronic surveillance with the intent to kill or harm Thompson, and that those actions led to his death. A federal judge in January dismissed two other charges, including murder through use of a firearm, which had carried the possibility of the death penalty.
If Mangione were to plead guilty in the federal case, his attorneys could argue that the state prosecution violates double jeopardy protections. New York’s state constitution contains its own double jeopardy clause. White-collar attorney Mitchell Epner noted that once a federal prosecution on a matter has concluded, the state generally cannot retry the same facts. Defense attorney Mark Chutkow described the issue as “kind of a live issue,” saying the state judge would have to decide whether the charges overlap enough to trigger the protection.
Mangione’s legal team has previously objected to him being tried in both state and federal court, but judges in both cases have allowed the trials to move forward. His state trial is scheduled to begin on September 8, while the federal trial is listed for January 2027. Neither the defense nor prosecutors have publicly commented on the reported negotiations.