Luigi Mangione's plea deal could cause him to clash with Manhattan prosecutors
Luigi Mangione's lawyer is criticizing reports of a settlement, dropping the emotional distress claim
Suspected killer Luigi Mangione's defense chief is dismissing reports that a plea deal may be in place with federal prosecutors. His lawyers say the information is part of a deliberate pattern to manipulate public opinion and violate his due process rights. The defendant also withdrew a plea of emotional distress in Mangione's murder case, which would have reduced his charge of manslaughter to manslaughter.
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Manhattan prosecutors are signaling they may fight Luigi Mangione if they threaten to delay his upcoming New York murder trial in the slaying of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson.
In a newly released letter reviewed by Fox News Digital, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office said it is aware of reports that Mangione may want to plead guilty before the federal trial begins.
Prosecutors have warned that if such a deal would interfere with the prosecution in New York, they could ask a federal judge to consider that before accepting it.
This follows a June hearing in federal court, where US District Judge Margaret Garnett pushed Mangione's trial to January 2027, clearing the way for his New York murder trial to go forward first.
LUIGI MANGIONE'S TRIAL LUIGI MANGIONE SUCCEEDED NEXT YEAR IN THE KILLING OF A UNITEDHEALTHCARE EXECUTIVE
Luigi Mangione appears in a suppression of evidence hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court in New York City, May 18, 2026. (Steven Hirsch/New York Post via Pool)
Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty to both state and federal charges stemming from the December 2024 slaying of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was shot outside a Manhattan hotel while on his way to a conference.
“If a proposed guilty plea operates to defeat a proper outcome in a federal prosecution, the people may advise a federal district court of that outcome, and the court must consider that fact when deciding whether to grant the plea,” wrote Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann in a July 2 letter.
LUIGI MANGIONE'S DEFENSE AGAINST STATUTORY DISRUPTION COULD HAVE HUGE IMPACT ON HIS CASE: LAWYER
Prosecutors added that the court should also consider any objections from Thompson's family before accepting such a request.
The letter is a clear sign, however, that Manhattan prosecutors are willing to push back against any deal they believe would keep the state's highest-profile murder case from ever reaching a jury.
The DA's office said it has already shared its position with prosecutors and Mangione's defense team.
LUIGI MANGIONE DEFEATED HIS REPRESENTATIVES WITH 'CHANGE OF HEART' IN MENTAL DEFENSE, SAYS LEGAL EXPERT
Luigi Mangione in the Courthouse at 100 Center Street in Manhattan for a pre-trial evidentiary hearing, Thursday, December 11, 2025. (William Farrington of the New York Post via Pool)
Prosecutors argued that any decision must reflect the “seriousness of the defendant's crimes,” the “loss of innocent life,” the impact on Thompson's family and New York's interest in prosecuting the murder.
The dispute comes after reports emerged in June that Mangione's legal team and federal prosecutors had negotiated a plea deal but failed to reach an agreement.
Mangione's attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo blasted the information from anonymous sources at the time as “a disturbing, deliberate pattern of prosecutors and law enforcement to prejudice Luigi.”
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York previously declined to comment on the reported conversations.
At the June 29 hearing, Garnett delayed Mangione's trial after concluding that there was no practical way for his lawyers to prepare for two high-profile trials at the same time.
During the hearing, Agnifilo confirmed that Mangione's murder trial in New York will continue to begin on September 8 and said that the defense attorney was told that it would not be delayed.
“We have been told that no requests for adjournment will be granted and we will be ready that day,” Agnifilo told the court.
The judge said there was simply no practical way to proceed with both cases at the same time.
“It is impossible for us to continue with the process of selecting judges in this case while the defendant and his lawyers are busy conducting this case,” said the judge. He rescheduled the federal judge election for Jan. 5, 2027, opening statements are scheduled for Jan. 25.
Luigi Mangione appears in a suppression of evidence hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court in New York City, May 18, 2026. (Jeenah Moon/Reuters via Pool)
Under the revised system, about 800 jurors will complete a written questionnaire in early December before jury selection begins.
Prosecutors in Manhattan also argued that New York should get the first chance to try Mangione because he was extradited there in federal custody before being transferred to federal custody. Prosecutors argued that the transfer did not change New York's priority to prosecute him first.
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Prosecutors say Mangione fled the city and was arrested five days later at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
