Alex Murdaugh’s friend gets almost 4 years in prison for scheming to steal millions from his dead maid’s family

CHARLESTON, SC — A longtime good friend of disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh was sentenced Tuesday to almost 4 years in jail for scheming to steal millions of dollars in insurance coverage settlements from the sons of Murdaugh’s lifeless housekeeper.

Cory Fleming mentioned he knew the lawyer now serving a life sentence for killing his wife and son was going to steal one thing from the household, however he thought it is perhaps $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 tips. Fleming, 54, turned himself into federal marshal and instantly started serving his time.

Fleming and his regulation agency made about $675,000 over the settlement, which has since been paid again, in keeping with court docket data.

Fleming is the second affiliate of Murdaugh despatched to jail since investigators started scrutinizing each facet 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 bought for purchasers after car wrecks or work accidents.

Laffitte is interesting his conviction and sentence.

Whereas Fleming knew Murdaugh was asking him to do mistaken, he mentioned he didn’t notice the depth of his previous good friend’s depravity.

Murdaugh nonetheless faces greater than 100 prices in state and federal courts for crimes prosecutors say vary from stealing from purchasers 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 care for them and really useful they rent Fleming as their lawyer.

He didn’t inform them Fleming was a longtime good friend, school roommate and godfather of one among his sons.

Murdaugh informed insurance coverage corporations that Satterfield tripped over their canine and satisfied them to pay greater than $4 million to what they although was Satterfield’s property by Fleming.

However as a substitute, Murdaugh had Fleming ship the checks to him. The sons didn’t see a dime till Murdaugh’s funds started to unravel they usually employed a special lawyer.

Fleming surrendered his license to follow regulation in each Georgia and South Carolina, saying he dishonored the career.

Dozens of letters from buddies. household and colleagues speaking about Fleming’s charity work, variety coronary heart and willingness to assist others had been filed with the court docket.

Fleming pleaded responsible 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 mentioned they plan to convey him to trial in September.