CNN — Alex Murdaugh, the disgraced former South Carolina attorney who was previously convicted of murdering his wife and son, has now pleaded guilty to nearly two dozen fraud and money laundering charges. The guilty plea, made in a federal courtroom in Charleston, is in relation to a scheme where Murdaugh and a bank employee allegedly defrauded his personal injury clients and laundered over $7 million of funds. According to the indictment, Murdaugh used the settlement funds for personal gain, including paying off personal loans and covering personal expenses. During the proceedings, Murdaugh tearfully admitted his guilt and stated that he was pleading guilty voluntarily. He said he did so to show his son, Buster, that he was taking responsibility for his actions and to help his victims in the healing process. The charges to which Murdaugh pleaded guilty include conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and money laundering. Some of these charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years, while others carry a maximum of 30 years. The sentencing will be determined by US District Court Judge Richard Gergel at a later date. The US Attorney’s Office praised the guilty plea, emphasizing Murdaugh’s extensive and callous financial crimes. The plea agreement states that if Murdaugh cooperates and complies with the conditions, the government attorneys will recommend concurrent federal sentencing with any state sentence he receives for the same conduct. The agreement also requires Murdaugh to be fully truthful and forthright with law enforcement agencies and provide information about all criminal activities he is aware of. Failure to abide by this agreement would void it. The agreement focuses on Murdaugh repaying his victims and locating missing assets. It stipulates that he must pay restitution to his victims and forfeit $9 million in assets. He may also be required to take a polygraph test and testify in other legal proceedings. Attorney Justin Bamberg, who represents some of Murdaugh’s victims, criticized the plea agreement, stating that Murdaugh should not receive any incentive-based deal given the severity of his crimes. He expressed hope that the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office would hold Murdaugh accountable and give him no breaks or incentives. Murdaugh, a member of a prominent legal family in South Carolina, was previously convicted of murdering his wife and son and was sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison. However, his defense team filed a motion to suspend the appeal and request a new trial, alleging jury tampering by the Colleton County Clerk of Court. The South Carolina attorney general has requested an investigation into these claims. Murdaugh is also facing other state and federal cases involving over 100 charges, with his trial for stolen settlement funds scheduled for November. These charges include embezzlement, computer crime, money laundering, and tax evasion.
Alex Murdaugh pleads guilty to federal fraud and money laundering charges
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