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Or sign-in if you have an account.Defence lawyers for Luigi Mangione, seated at right, and state prosecutors have requested a meeting with the judge, with reports suggesting a potential plea agreement. Photo by DAVID DEE DELGADO /POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesLuigi Mangione’s lawyers are discussing a possible guilty plea to resolve U.S. charges relating to the fatal shooting of UnitedHealth Group Inc. executive Brian Thompson, but no deal has been finalized, a person familiar with the matter said Wednesday.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. 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Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorThe plea talks come ahead of a Friday hearing that U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett set after federal prosecutors and defence lawyers jointly requested one. Court records didn’t identify the purpose of the hearing, and it’s possible they won’t reach a deal, according to the person, who requested anonymity because the talks are private.The New York Times reported Thursday that Mangione is expected to plead guilty in federal court, where he faces stalking charges, but the specifics weren’t immediately clear and any deal could fall apart. Mangione’s lawyers and the federal government also had talks in late June, but those discussions failed to reach a deal, according to two people familiar with the negotiations.Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againMangione, 28, faces both federal and New York state charges over the shooting of Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024, outside a midtown Manhattan hotel where UnitedHealth held an investor conference. Despite the horrific nature of the crime, Mangione has become a folk hero for many who say he expressed their rage at the healthcare system. Mangione was arrested Dec. 9 at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa.A guilty plea would let Mangione avoid a trial in Manhattan federal court, which is scheduled to start Jan. 5. He faces two U.S. charges of stalking resulting in death that carry a potential for life in prison without parole. It’s unclear whether Mangione is also weighing a plea deal in New York state court, where jury selection is set for Sept. 8 on second-degree murder and other charges.Lawyers for Mangione declined to comment, as did spokespeople for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. A spokesman for the Thompson family also declined to comment.Mangione, a University of Pennsylvania graduate and former data engineer, has pleaded not guilty in both cases.Mangione’s lawyers have succeeded in paring back both cases. They persuaded Garnett to dismiss a federal murder charge that could have led to the death penalty, and won dismissal of a first-degree murder charge by Bragg. New York Judge Gregory Carro limited some evidence that state prosecutors can use against him. That ruling eliminated a possible mandatory life term in that case. If convicted in state court, he faces 25 years to life in prison.If Mangione pleads guilty in federal court, his lawyers could argue that he can’t face trial in state court under New York’s double jeopardy law that prohibits defendants from being prosecuted twice for the same crime. But Bragg’s prosecutors are likely to oppose any attempt to invoke double jeopardy, saying the legal elements of the federal and state crimes are different, according to veteran defence lawyers not involved in the case. The decision is up to Judge Carro.“It may throw a wrench into proceedings in state court and it could disrupt the trial,” said Mark Bederow, a former Manhattan state prosecutor.Lawyers said the double jeopardy issue is complex because the state and federal systems are separate sovereigns that can charge separate crimes, said defence attorney Richard Levitt. Carro would have to analyze the nature of the stalking and murder charges, Levitt said.‘It’s complicated’“It’s complicated in the sense that stalking certainly has elements that murder does not, and murder has elements that stalking does not,” Levitt said. “Both sides have an argument that double jeopardy either would or would not apply.”Bederow said Carro must dismiss the case if Mangione pleads guilty to federal charges and the judge concludes there is a previous prosecution as defined under New York state law.“Whether he agrees philosophically or not, he will dismiss it, unless he finds the elements of the crimes are different,” Bederow said.Mangione’s lawyers may hope to resolve both cases through guilty pleas, said Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor. By pleading guilty only in federal court, Mangione would gamble that his double jeopardy argument would succeed in state court, Rahmani said.“The only way this makes sense from the defence perspective is if they get a global resolution or they believe they’re on firm legal grounds on the double jeopardy argument,” Rahmani said. “But to plead in federal court and lose on double jeopardy in state court would be a huge tactical error.”Several lawyers said the evidence disclosed in the case appears overwhelming. It includes physical, video and DNA evidence that they say ties Mangione to the shooting of Thompson with a homemade ghost gun and silencer. Authorities say they also recovered writings showing Mangione planned the shooting for weeks and detested the healthcare industry.Weeks before the shooting, he wrote about the need to “wack [sic] the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention. It’s targeted, precise and doesn’t risk innocents. Most importantly, the point is self-evident. The point is made in the news headline ‘Insurance CEO killed at annual investors conference.’”The federal case is U.S. v. Mangione, 25-cr-0176, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (Manhattan).Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.