Alex Murdaugh, convicted murderer, admits guilt in financial crimes.
OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
12:40 PM – Thursday, September 21, 2023
Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh has confessed in federal court to stealing millions of dollars from his past clients. This marks the first time that he has pleaded guilty to a crime in front of a judge.
On Thursday, Murdaugh, 55, pleaded guilty to 22 counts in South Carolina United States District Court. The counts include bank fraud, wire fraud and money laundering for stealing over $9 million. Murdaugh confessing was part of a plea agreement.
He pleaded guilty to 14 of the counts are money laundering, five counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
In March, Murdaugh, who was is a disbarred attorney, was given a life sentence without parole in a South Carolina prison for killing his 52-year-old wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and their youngest son, 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh.
He has denied any involvement in the murders since his family’s deaths in June 2021. He proclaimed that he was innocent during a two day testimony earlier this year and is appealing the jury verdict.
“There’s two things Alex will tell you. One, he stole the money. Two, he did not kill Maggie and Paul,” defense attorney Dick Harpootlian said after the hearing.
The guilty plea has the potential to lock in years if not decades in prison for the former lawyer, even if his murder conviction and sentence in state court are overturned on appeal.
Murdough’s federal counts could have him facing a maximum of 30 years in prison. The counts are based on the same financial crimes he is accused of in a load of state indictments. He is set to go to trial in November on some of the charges.
Additionally, he confessed that he stole money that was supposed to be meant for a man paralyzed from the neck down in an accident, for two sisters who were children when they lost their mother and brother in a crash, as well as from the estate of his longtime maid who died in a fall at the family home.
During the hearing, the disbarred attorney expressed to the judge that he wanted to take the blame for his bank fraud and stealing from his clients. He also added that he would like to do right by his son.
“I want to take responsibility. I want my son to see me take responsibility. It’s my hope that by taking responsibility that the people I’ve hurt can begin to heal,” said Murdaugh, standing in his orange South Carolina prison jumpsuit.
The plea deal mandates Murdaugh to work with prosecutors, pay restitution and take a lie detector test if asked to.
He is set to be sentenced at a later date. According to federal prosecutor Emily Limehouse, prosecutors will be asking for a lengthy term.
“Our goal in holding him accountable for the financial crimes in federal court is to ensure that he’s never a free man again,” Limehouse explained.
If the convicted killer follows through with the process, prosecutors are planning to request for the judge to impose a prison term that will occur at the same time as any sentence imposed in state court for crimes that may be similar.
“The Defendant agrees to be fully truthful and forthright with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies by providing full, complete and truthful information about all criminal activities about which he/she has knowledge,” according to the plea agreement he signed September 18th.
Reportedly, Murdaugh asked one of his former clients, Curtis Eddie Smith, to shoot him in the head just three months after the murders of his wife and youngest son. He requested this from Smith so that his oldest son, Buster Murdaugh, could receive $10 million in life insurance payouts.
Smith, 62, replied to Murdaugh asking why he wanted to die.
“Because they’re going to be able to prove that I’m responsible for Maggie and Paul,” Murdaugh allegedly responded, referring to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).
Therefore, Smith expressed that he quickly refused Murdaugh’s request.
“That ain’t happening. Not today, not tomorrow. It ain’t happening,” he remembered telling Murdaugh.
According to a documentary that aired earlier this month by Fox Nation, The Fall of the House of Murdaugh, the convicted murderer’s oldest son exclusively told host Martha MacCallum that he believed his father did not receive a fair trial.
“I think it was a tilted table from the beginning,” Buster told MacCallum. “And I think, unfortunately, a lot of the jurors felt that way prior to when they had to deliberate. It was predetermined in their minds, prior to when they ever heard any shred of evidence that was given in that room.”
According to the plea deal, Murdaugh will be required to pay back the $9 million that he is accused of stealing and taking a lie detector test if requested to.
Murdaugh has the potential to face a maximum of 30 years in prison.
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How does the guilty plea in the federal court affect Alex Murdaugh’s chances of appealing his murder conviction in the state court?
Convicted killer and disbarred attorney Alex Murdaugh has made shocking confessions in federal court, revealing that he stole millions of dollars from his past clients. This marks the first time that he has pleaded guilty to a crime before a judge.
On September 21, Murdaugh, aged 55, appeared before South Carolina United States District Court and pleaded guilty to 22 counts, including bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. These charges relate to his theft of over $9 million. His confession was part of a plea agreement.
Specifically, Murdaugh pleaded guilty to 14 counts of money laundering, five counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. These actions took place during the time when he was still practicing as an attorney before being disbarred.
This guilty plea follows Murdaugh’s life sentence without parole for the murder of his 52-year-old wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and their 22-year-old son, Paul Murdaugh, in June 2021. Despite maintaining his innocence throughout the trial, he was convicted and is currently appealing the jury verdict.
Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian emphasized that while Murdaugh has admitted to stealing the money, he adamantly denies any involvement in the murders of his wife and son. The guilty plea in the federal court could potentially lead to additional years, if not decades, in prison for Murdaugh, regardless of any future overturning of his murder conviction and sentence in the state court.
In terms of sentencing for the federal counts, Murdaugh faces a maximum of 30 years in prison. These counts align with the same financial crimes for which he is also facing state indictments. A trial for some of the charges is scheduled for November.
Furthermore, Murdaugh confessed to stealing money intended for a man paralyzed in an accident, two sisters who lost their mother and brother in a crash when they were children, and from the estate of his longtime maid who died in a fall at the Murdaugh family home.
During the court hearing, the disbarred attorney expressed his desire to take responsibility for his bank fraud and theft from his clients. He also expressed a desire to make amends for his son, who has been affected by his actions.
In conclusion, Alex Murdaugh’s guilty plea in federal court for the theft of millions of dollars from past clients adds another layer to his already tarnished reputation. As the trial progresses, it remains to be seen how the court will sentence him for these additional crimes and the impact it will have on his overall legal proceedings.
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