Man charged with impersonating FBI agent in apparent bid to free Luigi Mangione from New York jail

A man has been charged with impersonating an FBI agent after he turned up to a New York jail claiming to have a court order to release Luigi Mangione, authorities have said. 

Mark Anderson, 36, from Minnesota, was arrested at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn where Mangione, 27, is being held while awaiting trial for the murder of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson in 2024.

According to a complaint filed against Anderson, he told prison officers that he was an FBI agent in possession of paperwork "signed by a judge" authorising the release of a specific inmate, whom a law enforcement source identified as Mangione.

When the officers asked him for his credentials, Anderson allegedly showed them a Minnesota driving licence and claimed to have weapons.

After searching his bag, officers found a barbecue fork and circular steel blade that resembled a pizza cutter.

A law enforcement official said Anderson had travelled to New York from Minnesota, and was working at a pizzeria after another job opportunity fell through.

The attempt to free Mangione happened hours after the Manhattan district attorney's office had sent a letter urging the judge in Mangione's case, Gregory Carro, to set a trial date of 1 July.

Mangione will appear in court on Friday for a conference in his federal case. The judge, Margaret Garnett, is expected to rule soon whether prosecutors can seek the death penalty and whether they can use certain evidence against him.

Last week, Ms Garnett scheduled jury selection in the federal case for 8 September, with the rest of the trial happening in October or January, depending on whether she allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty in both cases.

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Mr Thompson, 50, was killed on 4 December 2024 as he walked to a New York City hotel for his company's annual investor conference.

Mangione, an Ivy League graduate, was arrested five days later in Pennsylvania.

After several days of court proceedings, Mangione was then transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center.

The jail is also currently holding former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who are facing drug trafficking charges.

(c) Sky News 2026: Man charged with impersonating FBI agent in apparent bid to free Luigi Mangione from New Yo