COLUMBIA, S.C. — New charges have been brought in the Alex Murdaugh case.
A South Carolina Grand Jury has returned a superseding indictment containing four new charges against Murdaugh and 18 charges against attorney Cory Howerton Fleming. Both Murdaugh and Fleming have been suspended from practicing law in South Carolina.
Fleming had not previously been indicted in connection with the state grand jury's investigation into Murdaugh and the events that occurred after the murder of Murdaugh's wife and youngest son.
The March 2022 superseding indictment, the state grand jury convened in Beaufort County charges Murdaugh and Fleming, together, with one count of criminal conspiracy for conspiring to give Murdaugh a share of Fleming's fee from the multi-million dollar settlement of civil claims against Murdaugh resulting from the death of Murdaugh's housekeeper Gloria Satterfield.
The South Carolina attorney general's office writes, as to Murdaugh specifically, in addition to prior charges of obtaining signature or property by false pretenses, value $10,000 or more (3 counts); money laundering, value $100,000 or more (3 counts); and computer crime, value $10,000 or more (3 counts), the state grand jury charged Murdaugh with three counts of false statement or misrepresentation in connection with an insurance transaction, valued at $50,000 or more. The new charges arise out of the alleged scheme to defraud multiple insurance companies in the course of surreptitiously delivering to Murdaugh a share of the proceeds resulting from the settlement of the claims against him. As before, the indictment alleges schemes by Murdaugh to defraud the victims of $3,483,431.95.
As to Fleming, specifically, in addition to the criminal conspiracy charge, the state grand jury charged Fleming with three counts of false statement or misrepresentation in connection with an insurance transaction, value $50,000 or more; four counts of breach of trust with fraudulent Intent, value $10,000 or more; three counts of breach of trust with fraudulent intent, value more than $2,000 but less than $10,000; three counts of money laundering, value $100,000 or more; three counts of money laundering, value more than $300 but less than $20,000; and one count of computer crime, value More than $10,000. Fleming’s charges arise out of the alleged scheme to defraud multiple insurance companies, the personal representatives of the estate of Gloria Satterfield, and the heirs of Gloria Satterfield in the course of surreptitiously delivering to Murdaugh a share of the proceeds resulting from the settlement of the claims against him. The indictment alleges schemes by Fleming to defraud the victims of not only the $3,483,431.95 delivered to Murdaugh, but also of $140,000 wrongfully appropriated or retained by Fleming.
The crimes charged in the indictments carry the following classifications and penalties:
- Obtaining signature or property by false pretenses, value $10,000 or more, is a felony punishable upon conviction by imprisonment for up to 10 years and a fine of up to $500.
- Money laundering, value $100,000 or More, is a felony punishable upon conviction by imprisonment for up to 20 years and/or a fine not to exceed $250,000, or twice the value of the financial transactions, whichever is greater.
- Money laundering, value more than $300 but less than $20,000, is a felony punishable upon conviction by imprisonment for up to five years and/or a fine not to exceed $250,000, or twice the value of the financial transactions, whichever is greater.
- Computer crime, value $10,000 or More, is a felony punishable upon conviction by imprisonment for up to five years and/or a fine of up to $50,000.
- Breach of trust with fraudulent intent, Value $10,000 or More, is a felony punishable upon conviction by imprisonment for up to 10 years.
- Breach of trust with fraudulent Intent, Value More than $2,000 but less than $10,000, is a felony punishable upon conviction by imprisonment for up to five years.
- False statement or misrepresentation in connection with an Insurance Transaction, value $50,000 or More, is a felony punishable upon conviction by imprisonment for up to ten years and/or a fine of not less than $20,000 nor more than $100,000.
- Criminal conspiracy is a felony punishable upon conviction by imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to $5,000.
Altogether, through 15 indictments containing 75 charges against Murdaugh, the state grand jury has indicted Murdaugh for schemes to defraud victims of $8,492,888.31.
As to Fleming, through one indictment containing 18 charges against him, the state grand jury has indicted Fleming for schemes to defraud victims of $3,623,431.95.
On Thursday morning, a South Carolina judge set a $100,000 surety bond with a 10% cash option for Fleming. He will not be able to leave the state and must remain on good behavior as well as surrender any passport that he may possess.
