Luigi Mangione Expected to Plead Guilty to Federal Stalking Charges

Luigi Mangione is expected to plead guilty on Friday to federal stalking charges in connection with the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan.

Mangione, 28, will appear in court for a surprise hearing. Sources familiar with the matter indicate he could plead guilty to one or both of the two stalking-related federal charges. Plea negotiations between Mangione's legal team and federal prosecutors are ongoing, and specific details of the plea are not immediately clear. Mangione could reverse his decision at any time, even during the hearing.

This expected plea change comes less than a month before Mangione is scheduled to go to trial in a separate state murder case related to Thompson's death. Mangione has previously pleaded not guilty to all charges in both federal and state cases. Federal prosecutors brought stalking charges against Mangione for allegedly traveling and using surveillance to kill Thompson.

The federal charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole. In January, U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett blocked the Justice Department's initial request for the death penalty in Mangione's federal case. If Mangione accepts a plea deal in his federal case, his attorneys are expected to argue for the dismissal of some or all charges in his state case.

Legal experts, including NBC News legal analyst Danny Cevallos, state that New York law may bar a subsequent state prosecution for the same conduct under double jeopardy protections. New York's state constitution has its own prohibition on double jeopardy, which could affect Mangione's upcoming state trial if a federal prosecution is completed. Mitchell Epner, a white-collar attorney and former federal prosecutor, said that if a federal prosecution is completed on a matter, the state cannot prosecute the matter on those same facts.

In his state case, Mangione faces eight felony charges, including second-degree murder and several counts of criminal possession of a weapon. Jury selection for the state trial is set to begin next month. A state judge in May ruled that prosecutors could use a gun and notebook recovered from Mangione's backpack during trial.