Alex Murdaugh to plead guilty to federal financial charges

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Disbarred attorney and convicted killer Alex Murdaugh is looking to go back on his recent “not guilty” plea as it relates to his federal financial charges, according to court records.

According to court documents, Murdaugh has requested a ‘Change of Plea’ meaning he will plead guilty. The court has scheduled the hearing for 10 a.m. on Sept. 21 in downtown Charleston. It is not immediately clear whether Murdaugh and his legal team will work out a deal with prosecutors.

During his initial appearance in May, Murdaugh’s attorneys told the court that they expected to have this change in the future.

Murdaugh entered a plea of not guilty on the 22 charges back in May, which include one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, one count of bank fraud, a total of five counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 14 counts of money laundering.

An indictment alleges that Murdaugh, who was a personal injury attorney at a law firm in Hampton, engaged in three different schemes to obtain money and property from his personal injury clients, according to a previous release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

SPECIAL SECTION: The Murdaugh Cases

If convicted on all 22 counts, Murdaugh would face a total of up to 480 years in prison and fines of up to nearly $13 million.

Murdaugh is currently serving two life sentences for the June 2021 shooting deaths of his wife, Maggie, and their 22-year-old son, Paul.

Murdaugh’s legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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