Alex Murdaugh's Accomplice, Cory Fleming Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Helping Alex Murdaugh Embezzle Funds

A close associate of Alex Murdaugh, a former attorney from South Carolina, found himself sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday. Cory Fleming (pictured above), aged 54, received this sentence after admitting his involvement in aiding the convicted murderer in embezzling millions from his clients. 

The sentencing took place in a Beaufort County courtroom, following Fleming's guilty plea the previous month. His collaboration with Murdaugh led to the misappropriation of funds from two clients referred by Murdaugh.

The majority of the stolen funds originated from an insurance settlement secured by Fleming on behalf of Gloria Satterfield's estate. Gloria Satterfield, the Murdaugh family housekeeper, tragically passed away following a "trip-and-fall" accident at the Murdaugh residence in 2018. 

An investigation into her death has been reopened.

Additionally, Fleming faces charges of misappropriating funds from the family of Hakeem Pinckney, who suffered severe injuries in a car crash in 2009 and subsequently passed away in 2011. 

Prosecutors allege that the settlement money intended for the Pinckney and Satterfield families ended up in a fraudulent bank account, used by Murdaugh and, at times, by Fleming.

Judge Clifton Newman, who delivered the sentence, emphasized that the disbarred attorney must face the consequences of his actions. He acknowledged that Fleming's victims were vulnerable individuals who had placed their trust in him as their attorney. 

Fleming is presently serving a federal sentence of three years and ten months after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Despite his cooperation with state and federal prosecutors, his state sentence is significantly longer.

Upon completing his federal sentence, Fleming is likely to spend over 15 additional years incarcerated in a state prison, as his state sentence is set to run consecutively with the federal one. In court, Fleming expressed remorse and took full responsibility for his actions, acknowledging the profound disappointment he felt in himself.

Fleming's attorney had requested a sentence matching his federal one, but Judge Newman imposed back-to-back 10-year sentences on the state charges, with one decade for the offenses against the Satterfield family and an additional 10 to follow for the crimes involving the Pinckney family.

Attorneys representing the Satterfield family commended the justice system's foundation and believed that justice had been served for the crimes committed against Gloria Satterfield and her sons.

Alex Murdaugh, a disbarred personal injury attorney, is currently appealing his conviction for the murder of his wife and adult son. However, his defense team has sought a suspension of the appeal to pursue a new trial based on allegations of jury tampering.

Murdaugh is presently serving two life sentences in a South Carolina state prison and is scheduled to appear before a federal court judge soon, where he is expected to plead guilty to nearly two dozen charges related to fraud and financial crimes, pending a cooperation agreement.

Furthermore, Murdaugh is slated to face trial in November on the first of 101 state charges, with the total alleged losses by victims amounting to nearly $8.8 million. 

These crimes were acknowledged by Murdaugh during his murder trial, serving as evidence of his deceit. Members of his former law firm testified about their discovery of his lies and theft before the murders.

Wearing an orange South Carolina Department of Corrections jumpsuit, Murdaugh learned of the trial date for the state financial crimes he faces, set for November 27 in Beaufort County, relating to the embezzled insurance settlement funds from Satterfield's estate.

In another news, a man suspected of the 2018 murder of Maria Jimenez-Rodriguez, which involved dismembering her body with a chainsaw, has been arrested and charged by the Houston Police Department. See detailed story here

[SOURCE]