Alex Murdaugh, the suspended South Carolina lawyer already facing a bewildering array of criminal charges, has been indicted on over 20 new criminal financial charges for allegedly defrauding victims out of over $1 million.
A South Carolina grand jury slapped Murdaugh, 53, with seven separate indictments, consisting of 21 charges including computer crimes, money laundering, and forgery. The latest charges come just one month after another grand jury indicted Murdaugh on 27 similar charges—meaning that Murdaugh now faces almost 50 criminal charges alleging he defrauded and laundered money.
Between two rounds of grand jury indictments, prosecutors allege Murdaugh has swindled victims out of more than $6 million.
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Jim Griffin, Murdaugh’s attorney, said in a tweet that Murdaugh’s bond hearing for the first round of grand jury indictments “will be re-scheduled next week, after last minute charges brought by AG.”
“We are not surprised by these new charges relating to Alex’s handling of client funds and law firm fees. We have made it clear that Alex regrets that his actions have diverted attention from solving the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul,” Murdaugh’s spokesperson told The Daily Beast last month after the first round of indictments.
The disgraced scion already faces charges for allegedly orchestrating his own shooting in September, and diverting millions of dollars to a fake bank account from a wrongful-death settlement meant for the sons of his former housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield. Not to mention, Murdaugh faces several lawsuits, all ranging from allegations he conspired to influence the 2019 boat investigation, to claims that he swindled millions from his former law firm.
And latest Thursday charges against Murdaugh seem to only paint a grimmer picture of Murdaugh’s alleged efforts to defraud his clients.
Prosecutors allege that in June 2016, “while relaying on his prestige and reputation as a lawyer,” Murdaugh allegedly told his client Johnny Bush that he spent $100,000 of his settlement money on “accident reconstruction” for his case. In reality, the indictment alleges, Murdaugh, diverted $95,000 to his fraudulent bank account for his own enrichment.
“Murdaugh had created this bank account for the purpose of misappropriating funds belonging to others with the illusion that the money was being paid” to a legitimate company, the indictment said, noting the scion used the funds to pay for his own credit card bills, cash, and checks to associates.
Two months later, Murdaugh allegedly diverted a $90,000 trust account check that “was supposed to be compensated to Jamian Risher for his injuries” into his secret bank account.
Another indictment states that in November 2017, Murdaugh allegedly had another client, Randy Drawdy, “sign a settlement disbursement form which reflected the withholding of $8,819.30 for medical bills and $750.00 for private investigator services.” But instead of using Drawdy’s settlement proceeds for his client, Murdaugh allegedly put the $9,569.30 into his fake bank account.
About a year later, in August 2018, prosecutors allege the disgraced lawyer then stole $85,000 in a similar fashion from Jordan Jinks, who is described as a “longtime friend of the family who had come to Murdaugh for help.” Murdaugh allegedly told Jinks he needed to hold the settlement proceeds to “satisfy a medical insurance lien.” Two months later, the indictment states, Murdaugh then diverted another $65,000 check to his personal, secret account.
In April 2019, prosecutors allege Murdaugh took $112,500 from the personal representative for the estate of Blondell Gary for his own personal gain. About a year later, between February and July 2020, one of Murdaugh’s clients approached him for help. Murdaugh eventually diverted a $750,000 check meant for the client and his injuries, the indictment states.
Prosecutors allege that just months later, between November and December 2020, Murdaugh convinced a client representing the estate of Sandra Taylor that “the total wrongful death recovery would only be $30,000 and that Murdaugh was not even going to take a fee because the recovery was so low.”
In reality, the indictment alleges, Murdaugh recovered “over $180,000” in the wrongful death settlement—before eventually diverting more than $150,000 through his fake bank account.
