Luigi Mangione pleads guilty to murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO

On Friday, August 14, 2026, 28-year-old Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty in a Manhattan federal court to the December 4, 2024, murder of Brian Thompson, the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare’s insurance division. Mangione admitted to stalking the executive and fatally shooting him outside a New York City hotel, where an investor conference was taking place. He stated he used a 3D-printed gun component to carry out the attack, motivated by his experiences with the health insurance system following a spinal injury.

There was no plea agreement reached with prosecutors. US District Judge Margaret Garnett scheduled sentencing for December 18, 2026, where Mangione faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Federal prosecutors have stated they intend to pursue a life sentence. Following the federal plea, defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo filed a motion to dismiss separate state-level murder charges, citing double jeopardy protections, as the federal guilty plea effectively concludes the prosecution regarding the act of killing. The victim's family, including his widow, attended the hearing.