Attorney general’s office clarifies jail sentence imposed on ex-attorney

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) – The South Carolina Attorney General’s Business office claims the previous law firm joined to Alex Murdaugh faces a shorter sentence than at first claimed.

Cory Fleming was sentenced Thursday in Beaufort County on state fees ranging from breach of have confidence in with fraudulent intent to income laundering and legal conspiracy.

Legal professional General’s Place of work spokesman Robert Kittle confirmed Monday afternoon that Fleming’s precise sentence quantities to 13 several years and 10 months in prison, not the 20 a long time at first claimed.

At the time Judge Clifton Newman go through the a variety of sentences to the prices to which Fleming pleaded guilty, it sounded like he experienced been sentenced to a total of 20 several years. That was dependent on a team of sentences, the longest of which was 10 decades, which he stated would operate concurrently, that means at the exact time. Newman then sentenced Fleming to an added 10-yr sentence on another cost that Newman claimed would run consecutively, meaning soon after the previously sentence.

But Kittle mentioned on Monday that when the business office confirmed the 20-12 months sentence, it experienced not nonetheless been given the sentencing paperwork from the courtroom.

“Once we got people, they say that a person of the 10-yr point out sentences is consecutive to the federal sentence, but the second 10-calendar year sentence is concurrent to equally,” Kittle reported.

Federal Judge Richard Gergel formerly sentenced Fleming to 46 months, nearly 4 years, on federal prices soon after Fleming pleaded responsible to them.

Gergel mentioned he would send out a concept to Newman that no a lot more time behind bars really should consequence from the state rates. But at Fleming’s sentencing on the state charges, Newman explained he did not make it possible for federal courts to impact the sentences Newman imposes.

The costs stem from accusations that he conspired with Murdaugh to choose money from a wrongful death settlement from the estate of Gloria Satterfield. Satterfield was Murdaugh’s longtime housekeeper who died right after what was explained as a “trip-and-fall” incident at Murdaugh’s dwelling in February of 2018.

Users of Satterfield’s loved ones spoke at the sentencing listening to together with individuals who supported Fleming and requested Newman to be merciful in handing down his sentence.

Shortly following Newman handed down the sentence, Attorney Normal Alan Wilson released a statement, stating that in South Carolina, “no a person is above the legislation.”

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