Minnesota Man Charged With Impersonating an FBI Agent, Allegedly Tried to Break Out Luigi Mangione
A bizarre and brazen stunt landed a Minnesota man behind bars this week after federal authorities say he attempted to impersonate an FBI agent and secure the release of an accused murderer from a New York City jail…
A bizarre and brazen stunt landed a Minnesota man behind bars this week after federal authorities say he attempted to impersonate an FBI agent and secure the release of an accused murderer from a New York City jail.
Mark Anderson, 35, was charged Thursday with impersonating a federal officer after showing up at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn claiming he had a court order authorizing the release of an inmate. A law enforcement source identified that inmate as Luigi Mangione, the man accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Anderson arrived at the federal lockup late Wednesday and told Bureau of Prisons staff that he was an FBI agent. When asked to provide credentials, Anderson produced only a Minnesota driver’s license. He also claimed he was in possession of weapons and said he had paperwork “signed by a judge” ordering the release of a specific inmate.
The complaint says Anderson displayed and even threw multiple documents at prison officers, papers that appeared to be related to filing claims against the U.S. Department of Justice. None of the documents authorized the release of any inmate.
A search of Anderson’s backpack uncovered a barbecue fork and a “round steel blade” resembling a pizza cutter, according to court records. No firearms were found, despite his claims.
A law enforcement source told NBC News that Anderson had recently traveled from Minnesota to New York City for a job opportunity that fell through. He had been working at a pizzeria before the arrest, adding another layer of oddity to the case.
A magistrate judge ordered Anderson detained Thursday, citing concerns that he posed a flight risk. He is currently being held at the same Brooklyn detention center where Mangione is housed, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator. Anderson’s court-appointed federal public defender did not respond to requests for comment.
Mangione, 27, has been locked up at the Metropolitan Detention Center since December 2024. Prosecutors allege he ambushed and murdered UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan, a killing that stunned the business world and triggered intense political debate.