Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh was sentenced Monday in Charleston, South Carolina, to 40 years behind bars for stealing millions of dollars from his legal clients when he worked as a lawyer.
Murdaugh is currently serving a life sentence without parole for the 2021 killings of his wife, Margaret, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, NBC News reported Monday.
However, Murdaugh is trying to appeal that conviction.
#BREAKING: #AlexMurdaugh is sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing money from clients and his law firm.
The disgraced attorney is already serving a life sentence for the murders of his wife and youngest son.#CourtTV Is this justice? ⚖️ pic.twitter.com/zdR6owBYGw
— Court TV (@CourtTV) April 1, 2024
The most recent sentence, which a federal judge handed down, can be served alongside a nearly 30-year sentence the state previously imposed, the NBC article continued:
The stakes had been raised in an otherwise routine sentencing hearing after federal prosecutors said in a filing last week that Murdaugh, 55, failed a polygraph test that he agreed to undergo as part of a plea deal. In addition, they said, they identified 11 new financial victims and another $1.3 million in stolen money.
The former personal injury lawyer faced a much harsher sentence, although U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel is allowing him to serve his prison sentences for state and federal crimes concurrently. He also ordered Murdaugh to pay more than $8 million in restitution to his financial victims.
In September, Murdaugh pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, USA Today reported Monday.
When Murdaugh signed the plea agreement in late 2023, U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs said, “Alex Murdaugh’s financial crimes were extensive, brazen, and callous.”
During his high-profile double murder trial, Murdaugh denied in court that he killed his wife and son. However, he admitted he participated in some financial misconduct, the NBC article said.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) detailed the case surrounding Murdaugh and the killings in a video posted in January 2023:
In March 2023, Breitbart News reported that, over the years, Murdaugh and his relatives gave hundreds of thousands of dollars in political contributions. Some of that money went to Democrats, including Hillary Clinton and President Joe Biden.
“Murdaugh and his family have primarily donated to Democrat politicians, including two $2,700 donations to Biden and Clinton, the maximum individual contribution allowed by Federal Election Committee guidelines at the time,” the outlet said.
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