Report: Man tried to break Luigi Mangione out of prison
A Minnesota man allegedly tried to break Luigi Mangione out of his New York jail by posing as an FBI agent in a brazen plot that was ultimately foiled, police said.
Mark Anderson, 36, was charged on Thursday with impersonating a federal agent as he allegedly tried to sneak Mangione, 27, out of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Sources told ABC News that the ill-fated escape attempt saw Anderson approach an intake area inside the jail to get close to the accused healthcare CEO assassin.
Anderson allegedly lied to officials by claiming he had paperwork ‘signed by a judge’ authorizing the release of Mangione.
The criminal complaint against Anderson does not name Mangione as the target of the alleged breakout attempt, but sources said the murder suspect was the focus of the plot.
Alleged Plot Foiled After Staff Asked For ID
The scheme reportedly fell apart when Bureau of Prisons staff asked to see Anderson’s credentials, which led him to show his Minnesota driver’s license and throw ‘numerous documents’ at the personnel.
Anderson then allegedly warned staff that he had weapons in his bag, and a search of his belongings found a barbeque fork and a tool resembling a pizza cutter, according to the criminal complaint.
The alleged escape plot comes just one day before Mangione is due back in court, where a judge may decide if the 27-year-old could face the death penalty if convicted with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
It comes as Mangione nears the start of his high-profile trial for Thompson’s murder. The official start date has not yet been set.
Mangione’s Lawyers Move to Block Key Evidence
Earlier this month, Mangione appeared to be playing to the cameras as he appeared in court for a pre-trial hearing, flashing a boyish grin as his flock of female admirers ogled from the gallery.
Ahead of his trial, Mangione’s lawyers have attempted to bar key pieces of evidence against him from being heard by a jury, arguing a bungled investigation by police made the evidence inadmissible.
Mangione allegedly shot Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk in the early hours of December 4, 2024 before fleeing the scene on a bike.
He was arrested almost a week later in a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, a small town over 300 miles away from the crime scene.
Police said that when he was arrested, they discovered a manifesto and a gun inside his backpack, alongside notes to himself to ‘check reports for current situation’ – a possible reference to news reports after Thompson’s death made headlines.
Mangione’s attorneys have argued that the chain of custody for the evidence found in his backpack was not appropriately followed, and they alleged he was not read his Miranda Rights.
Prosecutors Say Backpack Search Was Legal
Prosecutors say that the backpack was searched legally because Altoona police protocols require the immediate search of suspect’s property at the time of their arrest for dangerous items, and said police later obtained a warrant for the evidence.
Officers later said they only found a loaded magazine in the bag at first, but in a later search at a police station they discovered the gun and a silencer.
An inventory search then found a notebook and other notes, including an alleged ‘to do list’ for Mangione to follow after the shooting.
Among the evidence shown at the pretrial hearing was a Philadelphia transit pass purchased at 1.06pm – a little more than six hours after the shooting – and a ticket for a Greyhound bus, booked under the name Sam Dawson, leaving Philadelphia at 6.30pm and arriving in Pittsburgh at 11.55pm.
Among the notes presented to the hearing was one with a heading ’12/5′ and a starred entry that said: ‘Buy black shoes (white stripes too distinctive)’.
To-Do List Style Notes
Another, also written in to-do list style, suggested spending more than three hours away from surveillance cameras and using different modes of transportation to ‘Break CAM continuity’ and avoid tracking.
Below that, it said: ‘Check reports for current situation’ a possible reference to news reports about the search for Thompson’s killer.
A note with the heading ’12/8′ lists a number of tasks, including an apparent trip to Best Buy to purchase a digital camera and accessories, ‘hot meal + water bottles’ and ‘trash bag(s)’.
Under ’12/9,’ the day of Mangione’s arrest, the note lists tasks including ‘Sheetz,’ an Altoona-based convenience store chain, ‘masks’ and ‘AAA bats’. Mangione had a Sheetz hoagie in his backpack when he was arrested, along with a loaf of Italian bread from a local deli, police officers testified.
A note titled ‘Future TO DO,’ listed ‘intel checkin’ and ‘survival kit’.
Mangione flashes a smile in court
Luigi Mangione flashed an unsettling smile at the cameras this morning as he appeared in court for the eighth day of evidence suppression hearings.
Mangione, 27, grinned from ear to ear as he appeared in Manhattan Supreme Court on Tuesday. The accused killer seemingly toyed with the courtroom photographer as he playfully put his hands up in what appeared to be a message for the snapper to back off.
It is unclear what prompted the exchange, but there is no doubt Mangione’s flock of female fans will fawn over the new photographs.
Mangione is accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York City sidewalk in December 2024.
His lawyers have been in court seeking to have key pieces of evidence ruled inadmissible at his trial. Since his arrest, Mangione has been inundated with support and amassed a huge fan base who have praised his actions and called for his release.
Mangione supporters appeared en masse outside the court house as the alleged assassin returned for his pretrial hearing. Many were wearing a selection of merchandise supporting him and vying for his attention.
Thompson, 50, was killed as he walked to a Manhattan hotel for UnitedHealthcare’s investor conference on December 4, 2024.
Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind and then fleeing the area.
Body cam footage shows cornered Mangione in McDonalds
Dramatic body camera footage captured the moment Pennsylvania cops cornered alleged assassin Luigi Mangione and asked his name after a ‘suspicious’ man was reported in a McDonald’s.
The 27-year-old alleged shooter had been on the run for five days following the point-blank murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson when police in Altoona descended on a local McDonald’s just before 9.30am on December 9, 2024.
‘Hey, sir,’ Officer Joseph Detwiler addresses the Ivy League graduate in the back of the restaurant, where Mangione could be seen sitting at a table. The shooting suspect cordially replied, ‘How you doing?’
At that point, Detwiler could be heard asking Mangione to pull down his face mask – and Mangione quickly obliged. But when he is then asked for his name, the footage shows Mangione claims he is Mark Rosario.
‘Someone called, they thought you were suspicious,’ Detwiler then tells Mangione, who proceeds to look down and apologize. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, um,’ the suspect could be heard stuttering, before Detwiler’s partner, Tyler Frye – whose body camera recorded the entire confrontation – asked him for his ID.
