Alex Murdaugh Is Slapped With 21 New Charges For Allegedly Defrauding His Legal Clients

Suspended South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh was hit with 21 new charges in connection with an alleged scam to defraud victims of nearly $1.4 million in funds they were owed, using the money for his personal use instead.

With the addition of the seven new indictments handed down by the South Carolina State Grand Jury Thursday, Murdaugh is now facing a total of 48 separate charges, alleging he defrauded victims of more than $6 million, according to a statement from South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson.

The latest charges against him include nine counts of breach of trust with fraudulent intent, seven counts of computer crimes, four counts of money laundering and one count of forgery.

The series of indictments, obtained by Oxygen.com, allege that Murdaugh took money intended for his clients and deposited it into a bank account he created, “Richard A Murdaugh Sole Prop DBA Forge.”

“Murdaugh had created this bank account for the purpose of misappropriating funds belonging to others with the illusion that the money was being paid to the legitimate company Forge Consulting, LLC,” the indictments read.

Murdaugh’s former law firm, Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth and Detrick, PA (PMPED) had often used the legitimate company of Forge Consulting to “facilitate structured settlements,” authorities said.

Authorities allege Murdaugh defrauded the latest series of victims of anywhere from around $9,600 to $750,000 individually.

The new charges are just the latest in a string of legal troubles for the Murdaugh.

Murdaugh has also been accused of orchestrating a botched assisted suicide plan in September to take his own life and leave his son Buster $10 million in life insurance. Investigators have alleged that Murdaugh enlisted Curtis Edward Smith to shoot him in the head, however, Murdaugh survived the ordeal.

The plan was allegedly carried out just one day after PMPED—the law firm started by Murdaugh’s great grandfather in 1910—asked him to resign after discovering the alleged scheme to steal money from the firm and its clients.

Murdaugh has also been charged with conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, after authorities said he misappropriated millions of dollars supposed to go to the family of his long-time housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield. Satterfield died in 2018 after the Murdaugh family told authorities she tripped over the family’s dogs and fell down the stairs, hitting her head. No autopsy was ever conducted on the body and an investigation into her death was launched in September by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, according to investigators.

After her death, Alex encouraged Satterfield’s sons, Brian Harriott and Michael “Tony” Satterfield, to bring a wrongful death suit against him, according to a civil complaint the sons filed on Sept.

Although Cory Fleming, the attorney representing the brothers and a close friend of Murdaugh’s, was able to broker a $4.3 million settlement in the case, Satterfield’s sons have said they never received any of the money.

The 53-year-old’s law license was suspended in September.

Murdaugh’s wife, Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, were found shot to death on the family’s Colleton County hunting compound in June. No arrests have been made to date in the double homicide. Murdaugh's attorneys have denied that he had any involvement in the deaths.

Murdaugh was already in custody on other charges when the latest indictments were handed down.

You can watch "Alex Mudaugh. Death. Deception. Power." here or on Peacock starting January 6.