Luigi Mangione is expected to plead guilty Friday to federal charges connected to the stalking and killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to sources familiar with the matter who spoke to ABC News. The hearing is set for 11 a.m. at a federal courthouse in Manhattan.
There is no plea bargain involved. Sources say Mangione could face life in prison if the plea goes forward, and federal prosecutors have guaranteed him no leniency. Mangione has reached this point before and backed out.
Thompson's widow and other members of his family are expected to be in the courtroom Friday. Executives from UnitedHealthcare are also expected to attend. Members of Mangione's family are not expected to be present, sources said.
Mangione was accused of gunning down Thompson on December 4, 2024, outside a hotel in Midtown Manhattan. He was captured in Pennsylvania after a five-day manhunt. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced that Mangione was indicted on first-degree murder charges on December 17, 2024. Federal prosecutors announced separate charges of stalking and murder two days later.
The federal case has narrowed significantly over the past year. U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett threw out the federal murder and firearm charges in January, leaving two counts: stalking through travel in interstate commerce and stalking through use of interstate facilities. The federal trial had been scheduled to begin January 5.
The state case has also been trimmed. Judge Gregory Carro dismissed the first-degree murder and terrorism charges last September. Mangione still faces second-degree murder, criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree, and multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the state case. The state trial is set to begin September 8.
A guilty plea in federal court could complicate the state prosecution. Defense attorneys have already tried to get the state murder charges dismissed on double jeopardy grounds. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has said it is prepared to move forward, arguing that the stalking and murder charges address different harms.
Mangione had pleaded not guilty in both the state and federal cases.
