A college friend of convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh faces up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to helping him steal nearly $4 million worth of insurance for the sons of Murdaugh’s late housekeeper.
Cory Fleming, a 54-year-old criminal defense attorney, appeared in court Thursday in Charleston, South Carolina.
The presiding judge, Federal Judge Richard Gergel, noted that it was highly unusual for such an important local figure to stand before him.
Fleming and Murdaugh, also 54, attended the University of South Carolina School of Law together and remained close friends.
Murdaugh was sentenced to life in prison in March for the murder of his wife Maggie and son Paul in June 2021.
Fleming admitted he helped Murdaugh steal the money intended for the sons of his housekeeper Gloria Satterfield, who died at Murduagh’s home in February 2018 at the age of 57.
Cory Fleming is pictured Thursday arriving at court in Charleston with his wife Eve
Alex Murdaugh, also 54, is seen leaving court on March 3 after being sentenced to life in prison for the killing of his wife and son in June 2021
Gloria Satterfield died in February 2018 at the age of 57. Her sons were entitled to an insurance payout, but Murdaugh stole them with Fleming’s help
The Murdaughs said their housekeeper, who they worked with for over 30 years, tripped over their dogs and died in the fall – although Alex Murdaugh recently changed his story and says he is not responsible.
Nautilus is suing Murdaugh for $3.8 million — the amount they thought they should have given the Satterfields but didn’t because it was stolen.
The Satterfield family last year received some money owed to them by six parties, not including Alex Murdaugh.
On Thursday, Fleming admitted to helping Murdaugh steal the life insurance money from Satterfield’s sons Tony and Brian, but they were not told they were entitled to a payout.
Fleming and Murdaugh devised a complex plan that resulted in Murdaugh convincing Tony and Brian Satterfield to hire Fleming to represent them and file a claim against Murdaugh to collect from his homeowner’s insurance company.
Murdaugh was insured for his property with Lloyd’s of London and the Nautilus Insurance Group.
The couple then set up a series of fake accounts, siphoned off the payout, and then submitted fake distribution forms to have the payout approved by a judge.
Tony Satterfield, one of Gloria Satterfield’s two sons, never knew he was entitled to the money
Tony Satterfield is seen with his mother Gloria. The Murdaughs initially said she died after tripping over her dogs. Now Alex Murdaugh denies they were responsible for her death
Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were shot dead in June 2021. Gloria Satterfield died at the home in February 2018
The misappropriation of Satterfield’s estate was first exposed in early fall 2021 in a lawsuit filed by attorneys Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter representing Satterfield’s sons.
Fleming was unaware of Murdaugh’s numerous other criminal schemes to defraud others, the case said.
In November, another childhood friend — former Palmetto State Bank CEO Russell Laffitte — was found guilty in federal court of helping Murdaugh and his bank steal money from clients who had received payouts in personal injury cases .
Murdaugh was indicted on Wednesday in a sweeping federal fraud charge that included both insurance billing fraud and allegations that he had defrauded his partners and other customers for 16 years.
Murdaugh has been charged in a full federal indictment detailing three separate schemes the disgraced South Carolina attorney allegedly engaged in stealing money and property from his personal injury clients
The 22-count indictment, unsealed Wednesday, details three separate schemes the disgraced South Carolina attorney allegedly engaged in stealing money and property from his personal injury clients.
If convicted on all counts of the new charges, which include bank fraud, wire fraud and money laundering, Murdaugh faces up to 480 years in prison and fines of up to nearly $13 million.
In a statement to , Murdaugh’s attorneys, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, said their client had “collaborated with US Attorneys and federal agencies in investigating a wide range of activities.”
“We expect that the charges filed today will be resolved expeditiously and without a trial,” the lawyers added, indicating a settlement in the case is imminent.
Prosecutors said he stole millions of dollars from clients and partners and found himself in a state of financial disaster that led to the shooting of his 22-year-old son Paul and his 52-year-old wife Maggie at their Colleton County hunting lodge.
“Trust in our legal system begins with trust in its attorneys,” US Attorney Adair F. Boroughs said in a statement.
“South Carolina residents turn to attorneys when they are most vulnerable, and in our state, those who abuse public trust and profit from fraud, theft and proprietary trading are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he added.