• A Minnesota man was arrested for allegedly impersonating an FBI agent.
• Mark Anderson attempted to free alleged murderer Luigi Mangione from a New York prison.
• Anderson claimed to have a court order and displayed false credentials.
• He was found carrying a barbecue fork and a round steel blade.
• Mangione awaits trial for the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

A Minnesota man, Mark Anderson, aged 36, was arrested for allegedly impersonating an FBI agent in a failed attempt to release Luigi Mangione from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Anderson claimed he had official paperwork “signed by a judge” that authorized the release of Mangione, who is charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to ABC News and CBS News.

Anderson was reported to have approached prison staff on Wednesday evening, asserting he was an FBI agent and possessing a judge’s order for Mangione’s release. When asked for identification, he presented a Minnesota driver's license and threw various documents at officers, according to a criminal complaint referenced by Reuters and SCMP.

During the encounter, Anderson reportedly claimed to have weapons, leading to a search that uncovered a barbecue fork and a round steel blade. These findings were part of the evidence detailed in the criminal complaint that led to his arrest on impersonation charges, as noted by Reuters and CBS News.

Mangione, the inmate Anderson attempted to liberate, is awaiting trial for the December 2024 killing of Brian Thompson, with a potential death penalty on the table. While legal proceedings continue, Mangione has garnered some public sympathy, being viewed by certain advocates as a symbol against high health insurance costs, according to CBS News and SCMP.