Luigi Mangione lawyers push back on reports of federal plea deal talks

Lawyers for Luigi Mangione are trying to push back on reports that the UnitedHealthcare CEO assassination suspect is negotiating a federal plea deal.

WNBC reported It was reported Thursday through unnamed sources that Mangione was in contact with federal prosecutors regarding a possible plea deal. The publication reported through unnamed sources that a deal was close but fell apart.

Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, told Fox News that prosecutors were trying to shape public opinion about the case but did not directly address reports of plea deal negotiations.

“This information, attributed to ‘anonymous sources,’ is part of a disturbing, deliberate pattern by prosecutors and law enforcement to harm Luigi, manipulate public opinion, and violate his constitutional right to a fair trial and impartial jury,” Agnifilo said. he said.

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“Every defendant in America is presumed innocent until proven guilty, including Luigi, who, unlike other defendants, had to fight the same charges twice,” he added.

Mangione faces two federal charges of stalking resulting in death. Two other charges, murder using a firearm and a weapons charge, were dismissed in early 2026. The federal murder charge was eligible for the death penalty.

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The U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment when reached by Fox News.

LUIGI MANGIONE’S EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE DEFENSE MAY HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON HIS OTHER CASE: LAWYER

Luigi Mangione appeared for a preliminary hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on June 17, 2026. Mangione is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. (Barry Williams/New York Daily News)

Shortly after informing the court that they planned to pursue a psychiatric defense for Mangione, his attorneys abruptly withdrew their plan for an “extreme emotional disturbance” defense.

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Under New York law, if the plea was accepted by jurors after his conviction, this had the potential to reduce the verdict of murder to first-degree manslaughter.

Randolph Rice, a Maryland-based attorney and legal analyst, told Fox News Digital that he thinks Mangione changed his mind after realizing that this defense could open him up to more problems.

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Brian Thompson became CEO of the UnitedHealthcare Unit in 2017. He was shot in New York in December 2024. (Business connection)

“He changed his mind and said, ‘Wait a minute, I’m going to state court. I admit I did this. How will this play out when I face more serious charges in federal court in January of next year?'” Rice said. he might have said. he said.

Criminal defense attorney James Leonard called the initial defense plan “a very risky trial strategy.”

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Luigi Mangione arrives for an evidence suppression hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court in New York City on May 18, 2026. (Jeenah Moon/Reuters via Pool)

“They’re basically telling the jury that Mangione committed the murder, but here’s why he did it and that’s why you have to nullify his guilt,” Leonard said. “If the jury accepts it, it’s an epic win for the defense team. If the jury rejects it, it’s [would] “This likely means Mangione will spend the rest of his life behind bars.”

Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.