A former South Carolina attorney was sentenced on Tuesday to four years in prison for conspiring with convicted killer Alex Murdaugh to steal money from his late housekeeper’s estate.
According to WCSC, Cory Fleming was also ordered to pay $102,000 in restitution and a $20,000 fine. Fleming pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a federal charge, years after Murdaugh recommended Gloria Satterfield’s family hire Fleming to represent them in a lawsuit against Murdaugh’s insurance company.
Satterfield, who was the Murdaughs’ housekeeper, died three weeks after she fell on the family’s property in 2018. There were no witnesses to her death, and Alex Murdaugh allegedly lied about her falling over their dogs while picking up a check. Investigators determined there was no evidence that the dogs were involved in the fatal incident.
Murdaugh’s insurance companies settled with Satterfield’s estate for $505,000 and $3.8 million. Fleming then moved the money out of a settlement account to pay himself and Murdaugh, according to WCSC.
On the state level, Flemming still faces charges of breach of trust, money laundering, computer crimes, and conspiracy. His trial is scheduled for September 11.
In March, Alex Murdaugh was convicted of killing his wife and son, Maggie and Paul, at the family’s property in Colleton County. He later appealed the two life sentences he received for the 2021 double murder.
Before his murder convictions, Murdaugh was disbarred for allegedly embezzling money from his former law firm to fuel a drug addiction. He faces more than 100 counts in regard to the alleged fraud. He pleaded not guilty to some of the charges in May.
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[Featured image: Gloria Satterfield/handout and Alex Murdaugh/Facebook]
