In a recent court filing, the U.S. government refuted allegations of “eavesdropping” on recorded jail calls made by Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. This response came after Mangione’s defense team claimed that federal authorities had shared his recorded conversations with the New York County Attorney’s Office (DANY).
Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione’s attorney based in New York, stated during his arraignment last Friday that one of their calls was intercepted by a member of the DANY team. She argued that the DANY office had informed her that someone had listened in on the call.
Federal prosecutors clarified that “no one at DANY or the Government ‘eavesdropped’ on the defendant in real-time.” They explained that, as is common practice in federal and state jails, many calls are recorded, and both the defendant and the person receiving the call are notified of this recording.
They added that “several calls” between Mangione and Friedman Agnifilo were sent from the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) to the Government and then to DANY. This occurred because the calls in question took place over a monitored jail line that was not designated for attorney communications, and the number used for the calls was not marked as being from his lawyer, bypassing the MDC’s filtering process for attorney calls.
LUIGI MANGIONE PROSECUTORS RESPOND TO ASSASSIN’S COMPLAINTS ABOUT ARREST: ‘REASONABLE SUSPICION’
Luigi Mangione is seen in Manhattan Criminal Court for a status hearing on February 21, 2025. He is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (Curtis Means/Pool)
Prosecutors assured that “nobody from the federal prosecution team has listened to any recorded attorney calls,” and all recordings of such attorney calls have been separated to prevent further access.
SIGN UP FOR THE TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER
The government noted that it is “standard procedure” for jail calls to be recorded using the MDC’s Trufone network, which announces during calls that they are being recorded and monitored. So far, two sets of recordings have been obtained from the MDC in relation to the Mangione case and provided to DANY.
UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO BRIAN THOMPSON’S ‘PREMEDITATED’ MURDER AND SUSPECT’S ESCAPE: TIMELINE
Luigi Mangione is seen at Manhattan Supreme Court in New York City on December 23, 2024. (Curtis Means for DailyMail/Pool)
According to prosecutors, one of the two sets of recordings included a call between Mangione and his attorney, who “was not listed on the Trufone contact list provided by the MDC to the Government.”
On April 22, 2025, a paralegal at DANY, while reviewing calls, discovered the call between Mangione and Ms. Agnifilo and recognized it as privileged communication.
LUIGI MANGIONE PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO FEDERAL CHARGES IN CEO MURDER
Luigi Mangione is being taken away from an NYPD helicopter in New York City on December 19, 2024. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)
“The paralegal immediately ceased listening and reported the issue to DANY’s prosecution team, who informed Ms. Agnifilo and a member of the Government’s prosecution team,” prosecutors stated. “No other individuals at DANY or anyone from the Government reviewed this or any other attorney call. The Government has now secured this specific recording to prevent any future mishaps, and DANY has done the same.”
GET REAL-TIME UPDATES ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB
Fox News contacted Friedman Agnifilo for her response.
Mangione entered a not guilty plea to federal charges in a Manhattan court on April 25 related to the Dec. 4, 2024, murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
LUIGI MANGIONE INDICTED ON FEDERAL CHARGES RELATED TO CEO MURDER
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was murdered on December 4, 2024. (AP Photo/UnitedHealth Group)
Mangione faces charges of stalking and murdering Thompson in the Southern District of New York, including allegations of using electronic communications, traveling interstate, and employing a firearm in the commission of the crime.
FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X
The suspect reportedly shot Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel where UnitedHealthcare was holding its annual shareholder conference, an act prosecutors claim was intended to convey a message to the healthcare industry, evidenced by a manifesto found on Mangione when he was arrested shortly after the incident.
Luigi Mangione leaves the courtroom after his arraignment in New York City Criminal Court on December 23, 2024. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)
If convicted of murder with a firearm, the 26-year-old Mangione faces the death penalty, according to federal prosecutors’ court documents.
Fox News’ Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
