A federal judge sentenced convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh to 40 years in prison on Monday for stealing millions from his clients while he was an attorney in South Carolina.
Murdaugh, who is already serving a life prison sentence for the 2021 murders of his wife and son, recently appeared in federal court to face allegations of financial crimes. These very offenses are what investigators believe the 55-year-old was trying to distract from by fatally shooting 52-year-old Margaret and 22-year-old Paul, per NBC News. He is currently appealing his murder convictions.
Alongside failing to abide by a previous plea deal with federal prosecutors to “testify fully and truthfully” in all future proceedings, Murdaugh was found to have stolen another $1.3 million from 11 newly identified victims. His fraudulent actions included cheating clients out of settlement money and creating false bank accounts.
“[H]e ranks as one of the most prolific fraudsters this state has ever seen,” a court filing last week read, per NBC News.
In addition to the 40-year sentence for federal financial crimes, Murdaugh has already been found guilty and sentenced to 27 years for related state crimes. U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel ordered him to pay more than $8 million in restitution to his financial victims.
Michael, the son of one of Murdaugh’s financial victims, his longtime housekeeper Gloria Satterfield, spoke on her behalf during the victim impact portion of sentencing on Monday. She died in 2018 following an accidental fall.
“I pray for you daily,” Michael said, per NBC News. “I just want God to work on you and your heart.”
Murdaugh, who will serve all his prison sentences concurrently, expressed remorse and attributed his actions to his opioid addiction.
“I literally am filled with sorrow and am filled with guilt over the things that I did,” he told Gergel, according to NBC News.
In Dallas, 526 fraud offenses have been reported citywide this year as of March 31, according to the City’s crime analytics dashboard. The ability of the Dallas Police Department to fight this and other categories of crime has been hindered by a longstanding staff shortage. Only around 3,000 officers are fielded by DPD, despite the City previously recommending a force of around 4,000 to ensure public safety effectively.
Moreover, DPD has a budget of just $654 million this fiscal year due to the Dallas City Council opting to spend considerably fewer taxpayer dollars on policing than other high-crime jurisdictions, such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.
