Topline
A man posed as an FBI agent and tried to break Luigi Mangione out of his New York jail, reports say, leading to charges against the 36-year-old alleged suspect.
Luigi Mangione appears at a hearing for the murder of UHC CEO Brian Thompson at Manhattan Criminal Court on February 21, 2025 in New York City.
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Key Facts
Mark Anderson, who authorities say is from Minnesota, is accused of using a steel blade that resembled a pizza cutter as he tried freeing the murder suspect from a federal jail in Brooklyn on Wednesday, according to The New York Times.
Anderson told jail workers he was “an FBI agent in possession of paperwork” that had authorized the release of an inmate, later revealed to be Mangione, according to a criminal complaint obtained by NBC News.
When they asked for his credentials, he told the jail workers he was in possession of weapons, which were determined to be a “BBQ fork and a circular steel blade resembling a pizza cutter,” and he was arrested after throwing papers at prison workers, the New York Post reported.
Anderson was reportedly charged with impersonating a federal agent and is due in court Thursday.
Key Background
Mangione, 27, became a central figure in one of the most high-profile manhunts in recent U.S. history in 2024 when prosecutors say he fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel. He was arrested in Pennsylvania five days later and has pleaded not guilty to state and federal murder charges. His case has sparked an unusual grassroots response, as members of the public have embraced Mangione as a protest symbol against high health care costs, with supporters donating to his defense fund and showing up for his court hearings. He is next due in court on Friday, according to ABC News.
Further Reading
Judge Dismisses Murder Charges For Luigi Mangione Related To Terrorism—But Allows Second Degree Murder Charge To Stand (Forbes)
Luigi Mangione’s Likeness Appeared As Model On Shein Website (Forbes)