Mangione prosecutors prepared to lobby for stiff sentence if he pleads guilty
If Luigi Mangione ends up pleading guilty to federal charges in connection with the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, prosecutors in the Manhattan district attorney’s office said they are prepared to lobby the judge presiding over the case for a stiff sentence.
The statement from the district attorney’s office came in a letter made public Friday evening to the judge handling Mangione’s case in state court.
Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty to federal and state charges stemming from the fatal shooting of Thompson in Midtown Manhattan in December 2024. He is scheduled to stand trial beginning in September in New York State Supreme Court and in January in Manhattan federal court.
In their letter, the district attorney’s office said it is aware of public reporting by ABC News and other outlets about Mangione’s contemplation of a guilty plea in the federal case.
“If a proposed federal guilty plea would operate to defeat a just outcome in the state prosecution, the People could advise the federal district court if that consequence, and the court should consider that fact in deciding whether to accept the plea, as well as any opposition by the victim’s family to such a resolution,” the letter said.
A spokesman for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg declined to comment.
Mangione’s legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
