Federal prosecutors are pushing to dismiss Alex Murdaugh’s appeal on federal financial crimes as he seeks to reduce his sentence. They claim that he waived his right to appeal when he confessed to defrauding 27 victims and his law firm of nearly $11 million over many years. The prosecutors stated that Murdaugh engaged in exploitation, manipulation, and deceit for over 15 years to benefit himself.
According to court documents, Murdaugh embezzled a total of $10,901,547.32 from his clients and legal partners by diverting settlement funds to his personal bank accounts and later laundering more than half of the money. In September 2023, he pleaded guilty to 22 federal financial crimes. U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel sentenced him to 40 years in prison for multiple offenses, with prosecutors originally requesting 30 years.
The plea deal included a partial waiver of Murdaugh’s right to appeal, limiting him to raising only a few issues such as prosecutorial misconduct, ineffective counsel, or changes in the law affecting his sentence. The prosecutors argue that his appeal is based on claims that are prohibited by the waiver, including the imposition of a de facto life sentence without proper review and the alleged disproportionality of his sentence to the crimes committed.
As a result, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina is calling for the dismissal of Murdaugh’s appeal. They assert that allowing his claims to proceed based on Eighth Amendment grounds would undermine the validity of appeal waivers, rendering them meaningless. Murdaugh is currently serving a life sentence for the murders of his wife and son but has denied involvement in their deaths.
In addition to his criminal convictions, Murdaugh was also sentenced to 27 years on state charges related to fraud and theft. Notably, over $4 million of the stolen funds belonged to Gloria Satterfield’s family, a former housekeeper for Murdaugh. He persuaded her sons to sue his homeowner’s insurance after her death, kept the settlement for himself, and failed to inform them of the resolution.
Overall, the prosecutors are urging the court to uphold the appeal waiver and dismiss Murdaugh’s attempt to challenge his sentence based on claims that fall outside the agreed-upon scope of issues. Despite his ongoing legal battles, Murdaugh continues to deny harming his family members and insists on his innocence in the financial crimes he admitted to committing.
