A Minnesota man allegedly tried to break Luigi Mangione out of jail in New York by disguising himself as an FBI agent in a brazen plot, police said.
Mark Anderson, 36, was charged on Thursday with impersonating a federal agent as he allegedly tried to break Mangione, 27, out of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Sources told ABC News that the daring escape attempt saw Anderson approach an intake area inside the jail to get close to the accused healthcare CEO assassin.
Anderson allegedly told officials 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.
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 pizza cutter, according to the criminal complaint.
The alleged breakout plot came the day before Mangione is due back in court on Friday, 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.
The alleged breakout plot comes as Mangione nears the start of his high-profile trial for Thompson’s murder. The official start date has not been set.
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 watched 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 murder.
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.
This is a developing story and will be updated as information is confirmed.
