Mangione rescue goes wrong Man walks into prison as a fake FBI agent - and has to stay right there
At the center of the plan was Luigi Mangione, who allegedly killed an insurance manager. The alleged agent is now in custody himself.
31.01.2026, 08:26
dpa
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- A man from Minnesota falsely posed as an FBI agent in a New York federal prison.
- His goal: to free the imprisoned Luigi Mangione.
- Luigi Mangione is suspected of shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare in December 2024.
In a federal prison in New York City, a man posing as an FBI agent has tried to free Luigi Mangione, who is awaiting trial for the murder of an insurance company CEO. The man showed up at the Metropolitan Detention Center Wednesday night claiming he had a court order with him to release Mangione. Court officials didn't buy it and immediately kept him there.
The 36-year-old man from Minnesota was arrested and now has to answer charges of official misconduct. The person he tried to free was not named in the criminal complaint against him. However, a police officer familiar with the case confirmed that it was Mangione.
The man has already been arrested several times for drug and alcohol offenses and stated during court proceedings last year that he suffers from a mental illness and lives on state support.
Uncertain start of trial
Mangione was scheduled to appear in federal court on Friday. The judge in the case, Margaret Garnett, is expected to decide soon whether prosecutors may seek the death penalty and use certain evidence against him. The trial in federal court is scheduled to begin Sept. 8 with jury selection.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office is pushing for a trial to begin on July 1 in proceedings at the New York State level. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to both charges.
Health insurance CEO shot dead
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot in the back on his way to a Manhattan hotel in early December 2024. Five days later, Mangione was arrested in Altoona, some 370 kilometers away.
The accused became a kind of symbolic figure for people dissatisfied with the US health insurance system. As a sign of solidarity, some supporters regularly turn up to his court hearings dressed in green - the color of the video game character Luigi. Some wear signs and T-shirts with slogans such as "Freedom for Luigi" and "No death for Luigi Mangione".
