A bizarre security breach rocked the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on Wednesday night when a man impersonating an FBI agent attempted to secure the release of accused assassin Luigi Mangione. The man, identified as 36-year-old Mark Anderson of Minnesota, now faces federal charges for impersonating a federal officer.
According to the criminal complaint, Anderson approached the jail’s intake area and claimed he had a judge-signed order to release an unnamed inmate. Although the document did not identify who he was trying to free, law enforcement sources confirmed it was Mangione, the 27-year-old charged in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Anderson’s scheme quickly unraveled after officials searched his bag, which he said contained weapons. Inside, they found a pizza cutter and a barbecue fork. When asked to present federal credentials, Anderson handed over a Minnesota driver’s license. Authorities say he recently moved to New York City and worked at a local pizza parlor.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Mangione, a University of Pennsylvania graduate, is being held on both state and federal murder charges. He’s accused of gunning down Thompson in a brutal broad-daylight shooting on December 4, 2024. If convicted federally, Mangione could face the death penalty. He has pleaded not guilty.
While the court proceedings unfold, the case has gained an unusual following. Outside court, demonstrators dressed as Nintendo character Luigi have shown support for Mangione. Some of these supporters have gone as far as using the murder to protest the U.S. health care system and suggest that other executives deserve the same fate.
Mangione’s legal team is now fighting to suppress evidence, arguing that Altoona, Pennsylvania police violated his rights when they searched his backpack after arresting him. Inside the bag was a firearm, a loaded magazine, and a handwritten plan to assassinate Thompson at what Mangione allegedly called a “parasitic bean-counter convention.”
The presiding judge, U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett, has scheduled Mangione’s federal trial to begin on September 8. Meanwhile, the attempted jailbreak adds a strange and disturbing wrinkle to an already high-profile case.
Anderson, who remains in custody, is set to appear before a magistrate later this week. His motive remains unclear, but officials say he made no secret of his support for Mangione and even posted online about his belief that the accused killer was a “political prisoner.”
The post Man with Pizza Cutter, BBQ Fork Posed as FBI Agent to Bust Out Alleged Killer Luigi Mangione appeared first on Real News Now.
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