An unidentified supporter, left, is seen demonstrating on Jan. 9 for the release of Luigi Mangione, right, accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024. Another Mangione supporter was arrested Thursday for allegedly posing as an FBI officer demanding the suspect’s release. (Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images; Shannon Stapleton – pool / Getty Images)
By Jack Davis January 29, 2026 at 5:16pm
A Minnesota man faces charges after he allegedly entered the prison where accused murderer Luigi Mangione is behind bars and demanded he be released into his custody.
Mark Anderson, 35, was arrested at the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal prison in Brooklyn, according to NBC News.
Anderson was charged with impersonating an FBI agent. Court documents charging Anderson did not specify whom he wanted released, but a source said it was Mangione.
During the Wednesday evening incident, prison staff asked to see Anderson’s credentials.
JUST IN | Luigi Mangione Jailbreak 🚨
Mark Anderson, 36, was arrested Wednesday night after he showed up at the facility claiming to be the federal agent and that he had a court order to release Mangione from custody.The Detention Center asked to see the Andersons’… pic.twitter.com/v0GfEtT57A
— Citizen (@CitizenApp) January 29, 2026
He pulled out a Minnesota driver’s license and “claimed to be in possession of weapons,” according to the complaint
The complaint said Anderson said, “that he was an FBI Agent in possession of paperwork ‘signed by a judge’ authorizing the release of a specific inmate.”
“Anderson also displayed and threw at [Bureau of Prisons] officers numerous documents,” the complaint said. “They appear to be related to filing claims against the United States Department of Justice.”
Okay, time to fess up: Which one of my followers tried to break Luigi Mangione out of prison with a pizza cutter? Hmmmm? 👀 pic.twitter.com/JfxAqetGxo
— ParaPower Mapping (@KlonnyPin_Gosch) January 29, 2026
Staff searched the bag Anderson had with him and found a barbecue fork and a “round steel blade” that resembled a pizza cutter, the complaint said, according to the New York Post.
Anderson had traveled from Minnesota to New York for a job that did not pan out, and was working at a pizzeria.
Mangione, 27, is being held in connection with the December 2024 murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
He is facing federal and state murder charges and has pleaded not guilty to both, according to CNN.
BREAKING: Minnesota man Mark Anderson reportedly just tried to break Luigi Mangione out of prison by posing an FBI agent.
He came armed with a BBQ fork & pizza cutter.
He was promptly arrested & charged with impersonating an agent.
There’s something in the water in Minnesota! pic.twitter.com/ByopBpiJKx
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 29, 2026
The judge overseeing Mangione’s federal trial has set jury selection to begin Sept. 8. Opening statements could begin as soon as October or as late as January 2027, depending upon whether the Justice Department pursues the death penalty.
On Wednesday, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office asked for the trial on Mangione’s state murder charges to begin in July.
The accused assassin has a large online following, with dozens of fans standing in line for hours in freezing temperatures to catch a glimpse of him at court appearances, the New York Post reported. Some of the fans who showed up for a November court date dressed up as the Luigi character from the Super Mario Brothers video game.
On Friday, Mangione will be in court for a proceeding in his federal case, according to WNBC-TV.
Jack Davis is a freelance writer who joined The Western Journal in July 2015 and chronicled the campaign that saw President Donald Trump elected. Since then, he has written extensively for The Western Journal on the Trump administration as well as foreign policy and military issues.
Jack Davis is a freelance writer who joined The Western Journal in July 2015 and chronicled the campaign that saw President Donald Trump elected. Since then, he has written extensively for The Western Journal on the Trump administration as well as foreign policy and military issues.
Jack can be reached at jackwritings1@gmail.com.
Location
New York City
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Foreign Policy, Military & Defense Issues
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