A federal grand jury has indicted convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh on 22 additional charges that include conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering.
While the 54-year-old Murdaugh was working as a personal injury attorney at a law firm in Hampton, South Carolina, he allegedly took part in three schemes to obtain money and property from his personal injury clients, according to the indictment.
It alleges that from at least September 2005 until at least September 2021, Murdaugh directed employees to send settlement funds to his own accounts without proper disclosure or client or law firm approval. He’s also accused of creating fraudulent expenses that were never incurred, then used settlement funds to pay the listed costs.
In another scheme, Murdaugh is accused of conspiring with his banker, Russell Laffitte, to commit wire fraud and bank fraud between 2011 and 2021. Authorities allege Murdaugh directed law firm employees to make settlement checks payable to Palmetto State Bank. Those checks were delivered to Laffitte, whom Murdaugh directed to use the settlement funds for his own benefit. Laffitte has already pleaded guilty to the charges against him in connection with the scheme and is awaiting sentencing.
In the third scheme, Murdaugh is accused of conspiring with personal attorney Corey Fleming to defraud the estate of the family’s former housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield. She died after falling at the Murdaugh’s home while working there. Murdaugh reportedly recommended that her family hire Fleming to represent them and file a claim against Murdaugh to collect from his homeowner’s insurance policies. Murdaugh is accused of directing part of the settlement money into his personal account, calling those funds “prosecution expenses.” Fleming has already agreed to plead guilty to the charges against him.
Murdaugh is currently serving two consecutive life sentences for the 2021 murders of his wife, Maggie, and their son, Paul, at the couple’s home in Colleton County.