Murderer Alex Murdaugh faces new tax evasion charges as he serves two life sentences for the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul
- Alex Murdaugh was charged with tax evasion, the latest of at least 99 financial crime charges he faces in more than 19 counts
- Murdaugh was previously sued for failing to declare approximately $7 million in income between 2011 and 2019
- He was sentenced to life in prison for killing his wife, Maggie, and child, Paul
Murderer Alex Murdaugh was charged Monday with tax evasion, the latest in a string of financial crimes he faces after being sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife and son.
Murdaugh, 54, faces at least 99 financial crimes in 19 different charges stemming from millions he allegedly stole from his law firm and clients to fuel his opioid addiction.
The disgraced legal scion was previously indicted for tax evasion of more than $7 million “earned through illegal acts” that he did not disclose between 2011 and 2019
The latest indictment is believed to be related to financial crimes committed by Murdaugh between 2020 and 2021, according to FitsNews. The charges have not been made public.
Murdaugh received two consecutive life sentences in March for the 2021 murder of his relatives. He currently lives in an isolated unit to protect him from other inmates.
Alex Murdaugh during his sentencing on March 3 for the murder of his wife and son
Alex Murdaugh pictured on March 7 as he was transferred to South Carolina jail
The murders of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh came after Paul was charged with crashing a boat and killing a student
In the coming months, Murdaugh is expected to stand trial for his many financial crimes.
Sources told FitsNews the latest indictments were based on the “two years we waited to get more information,” suggesting the financial crimes have been dealt with in recent years.
Questions still arise about how authorities will deal with the myriad crimes he is accused of – many of which he admitted under oath at his trial for double murder.
When he took the stand on the double homicide case, he admitted, “What I can tell you is that in all these financial situations, I stole money that wasn’t my money, that I misled people I shouldn’t have misled, and I did it wrong. I can tell you that.’
He told the court he stole as much as $10 million from clients in an attempt to fund his opioid addiction, taking more than 60 oxycodone pills a day.
He allegedly evaded less than half a million dollars in taxes and stole settlement funds from extremely ill, vulnerable and bereaved clients and families – including a paralyzed client who was defrauded of $1 million.
He now faces up to 700 years in prison if found guilty on all counts, according to calculations by the legal magazine Law & Crime.
Laundering more than $100,000 – of which Murdaugh has been accused at least 11 times – carries a possible 20-year prison sentence.
He is also charged with two minor money laundering charges that carry a maximum sentence of five years.
Murdaugh with his wife Maggie and son Paul. He killed them both in 2021 on the family property
In addition, he faces charges of at least 20 different financial crimes, each of which could face up to 10 years in prison. The total maximum sentence for those charges totals more than 200 years.
His other charges carry at least a combined maximum sentence of 310 years, according to Law & Crime. In all, Murdaugh could face up to 740 years in South Carolina prison.
Other scandals discussed at trial include a 2019 boating accident involving his late son Paul, which left 19-year-old Mallory Beach dead.
Paul faced criminal charges after being charged with operating the boat while intoxicated before being shot dead. The girl’s family sued the Murdaughs for allegedly $30 million at the time of the Paul and Maggie murders.
The death of his housekeeper Gloria Satterfield – who, according to the Murdaugh family, tripped over the dogs and fell down the stairs while working at their hunting lodge – was also raised during the case. Her son Tony called to testify on the stand about the $4 million wrongful death benefit that Murdaugh allegedly stole.
Murdaugh also faces separate charges in connection with a failed suicide attempt in September 2021, intended to give his only surviving son, Buster, a $12 million insurance payout.