Luigi Mangione's lawyers told a federal judge Friday that their client plans to plead guilty to federal stalking charges stemming from the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

The disclosure came during a hastily scheduled hearing in Manhattan federal court. Mangione could still change his mind, and the plea will not become official unless he confirms his decision before the judge and the court accepts it.

If accepted, the plea would resolve the federal case against Mangione, who is also facing a separate state murder case in New York. His state trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 8, although his attorneys could seek to have that case dismissed on double-jeopardy grounds.

Mangione, 28, is accused of ambushing Thompson, 50, outside a Manhattan hotel on Dec. 4, 2024, as the insurance executive was heading to his company's annual investor conference. Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind.

Police said the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose” were written on ammunition recovered in the investigation, echoing a phrase critics have used to describe health insurers' handling of claims. Authorities also said writings recovered from Mangione expressed hostility toward the health insurance industry.

Mangione was arrested five days after the shooting at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He has pleaded not guilty in the state case.

Federal prosecutors accused Mangione of stalking Thompson with the intent to cause his death. A federal judge earlier this year dismissed additional murder and weapons charges that could have exposed Mangione to the death penalty.

Mangione has previously complained about facing separate federal and state prosecutions for the same killing. New York's double-jeopardy protections could potentially prevent the state prosecution from proceeding if the federal case ends with a guilty plea.

State prosecutors have opposed that possibility, arguing that the state case should continue. The outcome of Friday's federal proceeding could therefore have significant consequences for Mangione's scheduled September trial.