Federal authorities have apprehended a Minnesota man for allegedly attempting to impersonate an FBI agent in a brazen effort to secure the release of a high-profile inmate from a Brooklyn detention facility.
Mark Anderson, 36, from Mankato, Minnesota, approached the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on Wednesday while allegedly posing as a federal agent. According to court documents, Anderson presented himself to corrections officers claiming to possess judicial paperwork authorizing the immediate release of an incarcerated individual.
The criminal complaint reveals that when officers requested proper identification, Anderson produced a Minnesota driver’s license while simultaneously asserting he was armed with weapons. Authorities report that the suspect then proceeded to display and throw numerous documents at jail staff members.
Following his detention by Bureau of Prisons officials, a search of Anderson’s belongings yielded unconventional items including a large two-pronged barbecue fork and a pizza cutter-like implement. The suspect had reportedly traveled to New York City seeking employment opportunities and had been working at a local pizzeria prior to the incident.
The intended beneficiary of this alleged scheme was identified by law enforcement sources as Luigi Mangione, who has been held at the Brooklyn facility since 2024. Mangione faces both state and federal charges for the fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in 2024, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Anderson made an initial court appearance on Thursday but has not yet entered a formal plea. The charge of impersonating a federal officer carries significant potential penalties upon conviction.
The Mangione case has generated substantial public attention, with the defendant attracting supporters both online and at court proceedings. The original homicide case sparked national discourse regarding healthcare costs in the United States, while the upcoming federal trial, with jury selection scheduled for September, continues to draw significant public interest.