A man identified as Mark Anderson, 36, faces charges for impersonating a federal officer following an incident Wednesday at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Anderson allegedly attempted to secure the release of Luigi Mangione, the individual accused of the 2024 murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to a criminal complaint.
Anderson approached the intake area of the facility and presented himself as an FBI agent, asserting he held judge-signed paperwork authorizing the inmate's discharge. When questioned by officers, Anderson allegedly provided a Minnesota driver's license and claimed to be armed, according to reports detailed in the complaint.
Law enforcement sources confirmed to the BBC that Anderson’s specific target was Mangione, who has been detained since his arrest following a multi-state manhunt in Pennsylvania. Mangione currently faces both state and federal charges related to the killing and has entered a plea of not guilty in the case.
During the confrontation, Bureau of Prisons officials detained Anderson after he reportedly threw numerous documents at staff. A subsequent search of his bag uncovered a large barbecue fork and an item resembling a pizza cutter, according to the official filing.
Anderson reportedly traveled to New York from Mankato, Minnesota, where he had been employed at a local pizzeria. He appeared before a judge on Thursday to face the impersonation charge, though no plea has yet been entered in the matter.
The case involving Mangione has drawn significant public attention, fueling a segment of online supporters and prompting broader US discussions concerning healthcare costs. Jury selection for Mangione's federal trial is currently slated to commence in September.
This incident underscores the security challenges faced by federal detention facilities managing inmates involved in high-profile corporate crimes. The focus now shifts to the legal proceedings for both Anderson and the primary suspect, Mangione.
