Man who allegedly tried to break Luigi Mangione out of jail is considering a plea, attorney says

(NEW YORK) — The man who allegedly claimed to be an FBI agent and demanded Luigi Mangione’s release from federal jail is considering whether to plead guilty, his attorney said at a hearing Friday.

Mark Anderson, a 36-year-old from Minnesota, allegedly showed up to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn in January with a barbecue fork and a pizza cutter and, when jail guards asked for credentials, threw papers at them, according to prosecutors.

Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Davis told the judge that prosecutors extended a plea offer to Anderson, who initially pleaded not guilty to the impersonation charge.

“We’d like some time to review it,” defense attorney Michael Weil said.

Judge Eric Vitaliano set the next court appearance for May 1.

Mangione is being held at MDC-Brooklyn while he awaits federal and state trials for the assassination-style killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. His state trial is set to begin in June.