Alex Murdaugh’s Friend Gets Almost 4 Years in Prison for Helping Steal From His Dead Maid’s Family

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — A longtime buddy of disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh was sentenced Tuesday to just about 4 years in jail for scheming to steal thousands and thousands of {dollars} in insurance coverage settlements from the sons of Murdaugh’s dead housekeeper.

Cory Fleming stated he knew the lawyer now serving a life sentence for killing his spouse and son was going to steal one thing from the household, however he thought it is likely to be $100,000 — not all the $4 million-plus award.

Federal decide Richard Gergel sentenced Fleming to 46 months in jail, which was the decrease finish of the sentencing pointers. Fleming, 54, turned himself in to federal marshals and immediagely started serving his time.

Fleming and his regulation agency made about $675,000 over the settlement, which has since been paid again, in line with courtroom information.

Fleming is the second affiliate of Murdaugh despatched to jail since investigators started scrutinizing each side of his life in June 2021 after his spouse and son had been shot to dying at their South Carolina residence. Murdaugh was convicted of their murders and is serving life in state jail.

Banker Russell Laffitte was sentenced to seven years in jail earlier this month after pleading responsible to serving to Murdaugh steal cash from settlements the now disbarred lawyer acquired for shoppers after automobile wrecks or work accidents. Laffitte is interesting his conviction and sentence.

Whereas Fleming knew Murdaugh was asking him to do mistaken, he stated he did not notice the depth of his outdated buddy’s depravity.

Murdaugh nonetheless faces greater than 100 prices in state and federal courts for crimes prosecutors say vary from stealing from shoppers and his household’s regulation agency to operating a drug and cash laundering ring to tax evasion to unsuccessfully arranging for somebody to kill him so his surviving son might get life insurance coverage cash.

In Fleming’s case, the victims had been Gloria Satterfield and her two sons. Satterfield cleaned the Mudaugh’s home, babysat their two sons and did the rest the household requested for greater than 20 years. She died after hitting her head in a fall on the residence in February 2018.

Murdaugh promised the sons, who had been younger adults, he would handle them and really useful they rent Fleming as their lawyer. He did not inform them Fleming was a longtime buddy, faculty roommate and godfather of one in every of his sons.

Murdaugh instructed insurance coverage corporations that Satterfield tripped over their canine and convinced them to pay greater than $4 million to what they although was Satterfield’s property by means of Fleming. However as a substitute, Murdaugh had Fleming ship the checks to him. The sons did not see a dime till Murdaugh’s funds started to unravel they usually employed a special lawyer.

Dozens of letters from mates. household and colleagues speaking about Fleming’s charity work, type coronary heart and willingness to assist others had been filed with the courtroom.

Fleming pleaded guilty in Could to a federal cost of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces related state prices within the theft from Satterfield’s household and South Carolina prosecutors have stated they plan to carry him to trial in September.

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