Topline
Former South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh was indicted on 22 financial fraud-related charges—stemming from allegations he stole money from his clients—the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina announced Wednesday, two months after he was found guilty of killing his wife and son in a trial that captivated much of the country.
Alex Murdaugh was indicted on 22 financial fraud-related charges on Wednesday.
Key Facts
Murdaugh, 54, was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering, after engaging in three different plots to take property and money from his clients, the office said
Murdaugh’s attorneys, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, told CNN Murdaugh was cooperating with authorities and they expect the charges will be resolved without a trial.
Allegations he cheated his late housekeeper’s estate and insurance carriers out of nearly $3.5 million are among the specific claims prosecutors mentioned in their announcement.
Murdaugh, who was sentenced to life in prison, is appealing his double-murder conviction from earlier this year.
Tangent
Some of the charges announced Wednesday surround the estate of the Murdaugh’s longtime housekeeper Gloria Satterfield. She died in 2018 after a “trip and fall accident” at the family’s South Carolina home, though the circumstances of her death were questioned during Murdaugh’s trial earlier this year. Murdaugh is accused of conspiring with another personal injury attorney to acquire settlement funds from his housekeeper’s estate for his own personal use, while Satterfield’s estate received nothing.
Key Background
For five weeks, Murdaugh sat trial for the June 2021 murder of his wife, Maggie, and his 22-year-old son Paul. Prosecutors said Murdaugh murdered his family members so that he could be seen as a sympathetic figure and distract attention away from alleged criminal activities like stealing from clients and his law firm, which he feared was about to come out. While under oath, Murdaugh said he stole money, an admission that was seen at the time as something that could prove harmful to him in future cases, like the one announced Wednesday. He is currently serving consecutive life sentences for the double-murder.
Further Reading
Alex Murdaugh Found Guilty Of Murdering Wife And Son (Forbes)
Alex Murdaugh’s Murder Trial: Here’s What To Know About The Once-Prominent Lawyer As Jury Selection Begins (Forbes)
Alex Murdaugh Murder Trial Jurors Make Rare Visit To South Carolina Crime Scene (Forbes)
Alex Murdaugh Trial Heads To Jury Deliberations After Closing Arguments (Forbes)
How Alex Murdaugh Opened The Door For Convictions On Financial And Tax Crime Charges (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/05/24/alex-murdaugh-indicted-on-new-fraud-charges/