Alex Murdaugh is hit by TWENTY new criminal charges alleging disgraced legal scion conned almost $1m from SIX new victims: Fraudster remains in jail for ‘conning housekeeper who died years before his wife and son were murdered’
Disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh faces yet more scandal after he was charged with 21 new counts of fraud, over claims he conned six victims out of close to $1 million.
A South Carolina grand jury indicted Murdaugh, 53, with seven new indictments today, including charges related to computer crimes, money laundering and forgery. The latest charges come just a month after Murdaugh was indicted with the rest of the total amount of charges —mounting almost to 50. The amount he's said to have conned now sits at $6 million.
The latest charges filed on Thursday seem to only dig a deeper hole in Murdaugh's attempt to distance himself from alleged efforts to defraud his clients.
He shot to notoriety after his wife and son were murdered at their South Carolina hunting lodge in May. Their deaths remain unsolved. Murdaugh's late son Paul was linked to two deaths, with Murdaugh Sr also being probed over the 2018 death of the family housekeeper.
In June 2016, prosecutors allege that 'while relaying on his prestige and reputation as a lawyer,' Murdaugh reportedly told one of his clients, Johnny Bush, that he allocated $100,00 of his settlement money on 'accident reconstruction' for his case. However, an indictment obtained by DailyMail.com shows that Murdaugh transferred $95,000 to his fraudulent bank account for his personal gain.
'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 business, the indictment read, noting the lawyer used the money stolen from his clients to pay for his own credit card bills, cash, and checks to associates.
Two months later, Murdaugh allegedly rerouted 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 reads that Murdaugh had another of his clients, 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' in November 2017.
Murdaugh is facing claims from prosecutors that he stole $112,500 from the estate of Blondell Gray in April 2019
But instead of using Drawdy's settlement fees to pay the other clients he had stolen from, Murdaugh allegedly put the $9,569.30 into his fake bank account.
Nine months later, in August 2018, prosecutors allegedly found records of Murdaugh stealing $85,000 from Jordan Jinks, portrayed 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', according to the Daily Beast. The indictment reads that two months later, Murdaugh then sent a $65,000 check to his personal, hidden bank account.
Prosecutors further allege Murdaugh stealing $112,500 in April 2019 from the personal representative for the estate of Blondell Gary for his own gain.
Nine months later, between February and July 2020, Murdaugh scammed another client who came to him for help. In time, Murdaugh moved a $750,000 check meant for the client and his injuries to his fraudulent account, according to the indictment.
Between November and December 2020, prosecutors claim Murdaugh assured a client representing the estate of Sandra Taylor that 'the total wrongful death recovery would only be $30,000' and that he was not even going to charge a fee because the recovery was so 'low.'
However, the indictment alleges, Murdaugh managed to recoup 'over $180,000' in the wrongful death settlement—before eventually wiring more than $150,000 to his fraudulent bank account.
Murdaugh's attorney, Jim Griffin, tweeted that his client's bond hearing for the first series of charges 'will be res-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,' Murdaugh's spokesperson said last month after the first round of indictments were made public.
'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,' he added.
Alex Murdaugh (pictured) walks into court for his bond hearing, in Varnville, South Carolina. The family is at the center of an unfolding legal drama after Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were shot and killed at their family's home. Alex Murdaugh found the bodies of his wife and son
Murdaugh's attorney, Jim Griffin, tweeted on December 9 that his client's bond hearing is set for tomorrow to be re-scheduled next week 'after last minutes charges brought by AG'
Maggie Murdaugh (second from left), 52, and her son Paul Murdaugh (center), 22, were shot several times and their bodies were found near a dog kennel, on the family's property on June 7
The disgraced lawyer diverted millions of dollars to a fake bank account from a wrongful-death settlement meant for the sons of the back-then family housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield
The disgraced lawyer is already fighting against charges related to his decision to hire a hitman to kill him in September, and sending millions of dollars to a fake bank account from a wrongful-death settlement intended to the heirs of the family's former housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield.
Murdaugh also faces several lawsuits, all related to allegations concerning his plans to influence an investigation in a 2019 boat incident, when his now-deceased son Paul murdered 19-year-old Mallory Beach.
He faces further claims of stealing millions from his former law firm PMPED, which fired him earlier this year when the scandal began to snowball.
No comments