Luigi Mangione pleads guilty in federal court to stalking and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson

NEW YORK — Accused assassin Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty in federal court Friday morning, after days of speculation that he might admit guilt in the case in order to raise a potential double jeopardy claim weeks before his state-level murder trial.

Prosecutors have alleged that Mangione, 28, is the hooded man who snuck up behind UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec.

4, 2024, and shot him in the back outside a Hilton hotel in Manhattan.

Mangione's defense team could attempt to raise a new double jeopardy claim with his guilty established in the federal case, but it remains unclear if he would prevail.

UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO BRIAN THOMPSON'S 'PREMEDITATED' ATTACK AND SUSPECT LUIGI MANGIONE'S GETAWAY: TIMELINE Judge Margaret Garnett asked Mangione if he understood the maximum sentence he could receive is life in prison.

He answered, "Yes." He told the judge he called UnitedHealthcare posing as an investor to get information about the conference.

Given the opportunity to address the court, Mangione opted to stay seated.

"After years of enduring severe pain from a broken back… I learned UnitedHealthcare would hold an investor’s conference," he began.

The judge told him to speak louder.

Mangione explained that while the specific location of the investor conference wasn't immediately made public, he researched it online.

That's when he called the company directly.

He said he traveled to the Big Apple with the intent of shooting Brian Thompson .

"On the morning of Dec.

4, 2024, I shot Mr.