A close friend of disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh has been sentenced to prison for his involvement in a multi-million dollar insurance scheme. Cory Fleming, who admitted to knowing that Murdaugh planned to steal money from his deceased housekeeper, has been handed a 46-month sentence by federal judge Richard Gergel.
Fleming, aged 54, turned himself in to federal marshals and has already begun serving his time. He and his law firm profited around $675,000 from the insurance settlement, but this amount has since been repaid, according to court records. Fleming is the second associate of Murdaugh to be imprisoned since investigators started scrutinizing his life in June 2021, following the murders of his wife and son.
Murdaugh is currently serving a life sentence for these murders. However, he faces over 100 state and federal charges, including theft from clients and his family’s law firm, drug and money laundering offenses, tax evasion, and an unsuccessful attempt to arrange his own murder to benefit his surviving son’s life insurance claim.
In the case related to Fleming’s sentencing, the victims were Gloria Satterfield and her two sons. Satterfield had worked for the Murdaugh family for over 20 years, cleaning their house and looking after their children. She died in 2018 after sustaining a head injury in a fall at their home.
Murdaugh promised to take care of Satterfield’s sons and recommended that they hire Fleming as their lawyer, omitting to mention their close personal relationship. Murdaugh convinced insurance companies to pay more than $4 million to what they believed was Satterfield’s estate, but instead, the checks were sent to Murdaugh himself. The sons did not receive any of the money until they hired a different lawyer.
Fleming voluntarily surrendered his license to practice law in both Georgia and South Carolina, acknowledging that he had brought dishonor to his profession. Although dozens of letters praising Fleming’s charitable work and kind-heartedness were submitted to the court, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in May.
Furthermore, Fleming is expected to face similar state charges for the theft from Satterfield’s family, with South Carolina prosecutors intending to bring him to trial in September.
The sentencing of Cory Fleming sheds further light on the widening scandal surrounding Alex Murdaugh. As investigators delve into every aspect of his life, more and more alleged criminal activities are coming to the surface. With charges ranging from theft and money laundering to orchestrating murder-for-hire, Murdaugh’s legal troubles continue to mount. Meanwhile, his former associates are being held accountable for their involvement in his schemes, as reflected in the sentencing of Cory Fleming.
