(CNN) — Luigi Mangione could plead guilty as soon as Friday to federal criminal charges tied to the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, people familiar with the matter said.
Plea negotiations are ongoing between Mangione’s attorneys and federal prosecutors, but sources familiar with the discussions caution talks remain fluid and nothing is final until it’s announced in court. A hearing has been scheduled for Friday morning at the joint request of prosecutors and the defense.
US District Judge Margaret Garnett will need to sign off on any plea agreement.
A lawyer for Mangione declined to comment. A spokesman for the US attorney’s office declined to comment.
Mangione, who faces charges in both federal and state courts, previously pleaded not guilty in both cases: In the Southern District of New York, Mangione, 28, faces federal stalking charges connected to Thompson’s killing. In the state case Mangione faces second-degree murder and weapons charges.
Friday’s hearing was hastily scheduled following the final pre-trial hearing Tuesday in Mangione’s state case. That trial is scheduled to begin on September 8 with jury selection.
State prosecutors have accused Mangione’s lawyers of trying to get that case thrown out on double jeopardy grounds under New York State law, which says a defendant can’t be tried twice for the same crime. A federal plea would likely raise questions about whether the state prosecution moves forward, although the immediate impact is unclear.
If Mangione were to plead guilty to federal charges, his attorneys would likely aim to strike a deal that would give them strong legal standing to argue the state case should be dismissed on double jeopardy grounds, lawyers say.
Under the most serious federal charges, Mangione could face life in prison. If Mangione were convicted of the state murder charge, he could face 25 years to life in state prison.
While talks are still fluid in Mangione’s federal case, in other cases where firm agreements were in place there is no certainty that a judge will sign off on the terms.
Hunter Biden, for example, arrived in federal court in 2023 set to plead guilty to tax-related charges, but during the plea hearing the judge raised pointed questions and the deal fell apart. Biden, the son of former President Joe Biden, later went on trial and was convicted of gun charges. He later pleaded guilty to tax-related charges.
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