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A longtime friend of disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for scheming to steal millions of dollars in insurance settlements.
Key points:
- Cory Fleming has been sentenced to 46 months in jail
- He is the second associate of Alex Murdaugh to be sent to prison
- Murdaugh still faces more than 100 charges in state and federal courts
Cory Fleming said he knew Murdaugh — now serving a life sentence for killing his wife and son — was going to steal something from Murdaugh's dead housekeeper, but he thought it might be significantly less than the entire payout of more than $US4 million ($6 million).
Federal judge Richard Gergel sentenced Fleming, 54, to 46 months in prison, which was the lower end of the sentencing guidelines.
Fleming turned himself in to federal marshals and immediately began serving his time.
He and his law firm made about $US675,000 over the settlement, which has since been paid back, according to court records.
Fleming is the second associate of Murdaugh sent to prison since investigators began scrutinising every aspect of his life in June 2021 after his wife and son were shot to death at their South Carolina home.
Murdaugh was convicted of their murders and is serving life in state prison.
While Fleming knew Murdaugh was asking him to do wrong, he said he didn't realise the depth of his old friend's depravity.
Murdaugh still faces more than 100 charges in state and federal courts for crimes prosecutors say range from stealing from clients and his family's law firm to running a drug and money laundering ring to tax evasion to unsuccessfully arranging for someone to kill him so his surviving son could get life insurance money.
Victims were babysitter and her two sons
In Fleming's case, the victims were Gloria Satterfield and her two sons.
Ms Satterfield cleaned the Murdaugh's house, babysat their two sons and did anything else the family asked for more than 20 years. She died after hitting her head in a fall at the home in February 2018.
Murdaugh promised the sons, who were young adults, he would take care of them and recommended they hire Fleming as their lawyer.
He didn't tell them Fleming was a longtime friend, college roommate and godfather of one of his sons.
Murdaugh told insurance companies that Ms Satterfield tripped over their dogs and convinced them to pay more than $US4 million to what they thought was Ms Satterfield's estate through Fleming.
But instead, Murdaugh had Fleming send the checks to him. The sons didn't see a cent until Murdaugh's finances began to unravel and they hired a different lawyer.
Fleming surrendered his license to practice law in both Georgia and South Carolina, saying he dishonoured the profession.
Dozens of letters from friends, family and colleagues talking about Fleming's charity work, kind heart and willingness to help others were filed with the court.
Fleming pleaded guilty in May to a federal charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
He faces similar state charges in the theft from Ms Satterfield's family and South Carolina prosecutors have said they plan to bring him to trial in September.
AP