Prosecutors search prolonged sentence for Alex Murdaugh’s banker confederate

The South Carolina banker who helped double murderer Alex Murdaugh pull off a $3.7 million fraud deserves a prolonged jail time period due to his “continued unwillingness to just accept any accountability,” federal prosecutors have argued.

Prosecutors need Russell Laffitte to get between 9 and 11-and-a-half years when sentenced Tuesday on six counts of monetary crimes in serving to the 64-year-old disgraced authorized scion perform his large, widespread cons.

Laffitte “dedicated severe crimes that undermine the general public’s belief within the judicial and banking techniques,” they wrote in a 35-page sentencing guideline Thursday.

Nevertheless, he “has objected to almost each side” of the pre-sentencing report, repeatedly portray himself as yet one more sufferer of Murdaugh, they mentioned.

He “has lied underneath oath on 4 completely different events” and “has minimized, deflected, and denied his conduct at each stage,” they wrote.

“To today, the defendant has didn’t take any accountability for his personal actions or present any contrition to the victims for the hurt his actions precipitated,” the prosecutors wrote.

Laffitte, the previous CEO of Palmetto State Financial institution in Hampton, was convicted final November on fees of financial institution fraud, wire fraud and misapplication of financial institution funds associated to serving to Murdaugh misapply or mishandle not less than $3.7 million.

Throughout the proceedings final 12 months, Laffitte admitted to transferring tens of millions of {dollars} at Murdaugh’s behest, however insisted that he didn’t know the funds have been really settlement checks meant for the lawyer’s authorized purchasers, the Submit and Courier defined.

The prosecution, nevertheless, introduced damning proof that Laffitte took $680,000 in financial institution funds to attempt to cowl up his involvement with Murdaugh as soon as the latter’s fraud schemes got here to gentle within the fall of 2021, according to The State.

The federal attorneys additionally emphasised that Laffitte and Murdaugh have been childhood buddies who each got here from prosperous, influential Low Nation households.

In maturity, Murdaugh famously took the helm at his household’s revered regulation agency, whereas Laffitte obtained a plum place at his kinfolk’ financial institution.

For years, Laffitte was Murdaugh’s essential contact at Palmetto State Financial institution.

“None of this may have occurred with out Alex Murdaugh, however none of it may have occurred with out the defendant,” Assistant US Legal professional Emily Limehouse, the lead prosecutor, advised the jury in her closing argument, in line with The State.

“Russell Laffitte was the banker, the organizer, the one who stored the trains working. Alex Murdaugh was the rainmaker, the one who introduced the cash in. He (Laffitte) violated the belief of the financial institution and its clients.”

In March this 12 months, Alex Murdaugh was convicted of killing his spouse, Maggie, 52, and their 22-year-old son Paul in June 2021 in a bid to cowl up his monetary crimes.

One month later, a federal choose denied Laffitte’s try at an enchantment on the grounds that Murdaugh vouched for his innocence, stating that the previous lawyer was a “serial liar” who testimony was not credible, Greenville News reported.

As of Friday afternoon, Laffitte’s authorized workforce had but to file an opposing memo with their very own most well-liked sentencing phrases.

After his homicide conviction, Murdaugh can also be awaiting trial on a slew of fraud and tax evasion fees.