By USA Daily Now 
In a recent court filing, the U.S. government refuted allegations of eavesdropping on recorded jailhouse calls involving LUIGI MANGIONE, the suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO BRIAN THOMPSON. Mangione‘s defense attorneys had claimed that federal officials shared his calls with the New York County Attorney’s Office (DANY), prompting the government to clarify its position.
KAREN FRIEDMAN AGNIFILO, Mangione‘s New York-based defense attorney, stated during his Friday arraignment that one of his jailhouse calls with her was recorded and accessed by a member of DANY’s team. However, federal prosecutors emphasized that no live eavesdropping occurred. “Consistent with well-known practice in federal and state jails, many of the defendant’s calls are recorded, with notice of the recording provided to him and the person on the other side of any calls,” they wrote in the filing.
Prosecutors explained that several calls between Mangione and Agnifilo were provided by the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) to the government and subsequently to DANY. These calls were recorded because Mangione used a monitored jail line rather than a designated attorney line, and Agnifilo‘s phone number was not identified as belonging to counsel, bypassing MDC’s filtering process.
The government stressed that no member of the federal prosecution team has listened to any attorney-client call and has ensured such recordings are segregated to prevent further access. They also noted that a paralegal at DANY inadvertently encountered a call between Mangione and Agnifilo but immediately stopped listening and reported the incident.
Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty to federal charges on April 25 in connection with the December 4, 2024, murder of Brian Thompson. The indictment in the Southern District of New York includes charges of stalking, murder, and using electronic communications, interstate travel, and a firearm in the alleged assassination. Prosecutors believe the attack outside a Manhattan hotel was intended to send a message to the healthcare insurance industry, citing a manifesto found on Mangione at the time of his arrest.
If convicted, the 26-year-old suspect could face the death penalty for murder through the use of a firearm, as indicated in court filings.
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[UnitedHealthcare CEO Murder Case](https://www.foxnews.com/unitedhealthcare-ceo-murder-case)