Man charged after allegedly posing as FBI agent to free CEO killer Luigi Mangione: Report

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - A man from the US state of Minnesota has been charged after allegedly attempting to secure the release of Luigi Mangione, the accused killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, from a federal jail in New York, according to a media report Thursday.

ABC News, citing law enforcement sources, reported that Mark Anderson, 36, was arrested and charged with impersonating an FBI agent after he arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn. Anderson claimed he had a court order authorizing the release of an inmate.

The report said Anderson allegedly entered the intake area of the detention center and presented documents he claimed were signed by a judge. While the criminal complaint did not identify the inmate by name, sources told ABC News that Anderson was seeking the release of Mangione.

According to the report, Anderson failed to produce valid federal credentials and instead showed a Minnesota driver's license. He also allegedly stated that he had weapons in his bag, which authorities later said contained a barbecue fork and a pizza cutter.

Mangione is accused of gunning down Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel on Dec. 4, 2024 in a targeted attack. He was captured after a five-day manhunt in Altoona, Pennsylvania, nearly 300 miles (483 kilometers) west of New York City.