Johnathan Walker:Fall out from Alex Murdaugh saga continues, as friend is sentenced in financial schemes

GREENVILLE,Johnathan Walker S.C. — Two years after Richard "Alex" Murdaugh entered the national spotlight after the killings of his wife and son, one of his close friends has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy charge.

Suspended lawyer Cory Fleming was sentenced and taken to federal prison Tuesday for his role in at least two of Murdaugh’s alleged financial schemes.

During a sentencing hearing in Charleston on Tuesday, Fleming, 54, pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy and was sentenced to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of court-ordered supervision and probation, $102,221 in restitution and a $20,000 fine. He chose to self-report immediately and was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals.

Murdaugh convicted of killing wife, son

Murdaugh, once known as a prominent personal injury lawyer in South Carolina, has been in a protective state custody unit of a maximum-security state prison for five months.

Murdaugh's wife, Maggie, 52, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, were shot multiple times and found dead June 7, 2021, at the family's hunting estate. The case sparked national attention and has led to multiple documentaries and specials.

After a six-week trial and three hours of deliberation, jurors found Murdaugh guilty of the gruesome killings, marking the end of a powerful South Carolina family legal dynasty. Judge Clifton Newman on Jan. 27 sentenced Murdaugh to two life sentences.

Who is Cory Fleming?

Murdaugh briefly worked for Fleming, his college friend and roommate, at Moss, Kuhn & Fleming, P.A., before continuing with the Murdaugh family legacy.

Fleming has been tightly connected to Murdaugh as disgraced lawyer's best friend and Paul Murdaugh's godfather.

The Supreme Court of South Carolina suspended Fleming from practicing law on Oct. 8, 2021, after allegations that he assisted Murdaugh in defrauding former housekeeper Gloria Satterfield's estate. Satterfield died after a reported trip-and-fall accident in Murdaugh's Moselle estate in 2018. Murdaugh initially told investigators the fall was caused by dogs, a statement he later said was a lie.

A South Carolina State grand jury indicted Fleming on 18 charges in March 2022.

Murdaugh and Fleming allegedly stole roughly $4.3 million in insurance settlements intended for the estate.

Fleming was also sentenced for charges related to the theft of settlement funds from a Murdaugh client whose son died after being paralyzed in from car accident. 

Deborah Barbier, Fleming’s attorney, did not immediately return messages seeking comment. Ronnie Richter, attorney for the Satterfield family and estate, said Fleming got away with criminal actions for a while, but was ultimately met with justice.

Federal prosecutors say Fleming 'abused' clients' trust for personal gain

“Cory Fleming was trusted by clients who had suffered tragic losses, and he abused that trust for his own personal gain,” U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs said. “His theft of their settlement funds undermines the public’s confidence in our legal system, and we appreciate the partnership of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division in holding him accountable.”

The FBI and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Limehouse, Kathleen Stoughton, and Winston Holliday prosecuted the case. 

U.S. District Court Judge Richard M. Gergel recommended Fleming serve his time at Federal Correctional Institute Jesup in Georgia, where another Murdaugh accomplice and former banker Russell Laffitte, is also likely to serve his seven years in prison.

Gergel ruled Fleming's federal sentence be served concurrently with any state prison time.

What's next for Cory Fleming?

Fleming is accused in both state and federal courts of aiding Murdaugh in the Satterfield insurance fraud case.

He's expected to appear in Beaufort County General Sessions Court on Sept. 11 for his pending state charges. If Fleming pleads guilty to state charges, Judge Clifton Newman — who presided over Murdaugh’s double murder trial in Colleton County and handed down Murdaugh’s two life sentences — will sentence Fleming.

In exchange for his federal guilty plea, Fleming agreed to pay federal fines and restitution to victims and to cooperate with federal investigators in ongoing investigations against both him and Murdaugh, who was also indicted on federal charges.

Contributing: Christal Hayes, Ryan Miller, Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY