COLLETON COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA: Alex Murdaugh is reportedly set to plead guilty to federal charges that he stole nearly $8 million from his disabled clients.
The 65-year-old disgraced attorney, who is serving two consecutive life sentences for murdering his wife and son, agreed to change his "not guilty" plea at the next hearing on September 21 in order to avoid going to trial, according to court records filed on Thursday, August 24.
This will be the first time Murdaugh will admit guilt for a crime in court if he doesn't change his mind before he stands in front of a judge, according to the NY Post.
However, the court records do not state if any charges will be dismissed in exchange for a guilty plea. In federal court, Murdaugh is currently facing 14 counts of money laundering, five counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The maximum sentence for each crime is 20 years in jail. For some, the maximum punishment is 30 years.
Where is Alex Murdaugh now?
Murdaugh is currently being held in protective custody at an unidentified state prison following his conviction in March for the shooting murders of his 52-year-old wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, 22.
The former South Carolina attorney allegedly shot Maggie and Paul multiple times on their colossal 1,772-acre South Carolina hunting farm in June 2021.
Prosecutors argued that Murdaugh killed his family members in an effort to conceal his thefts, hoping that their deaths would win him sympathy and give him time to come up with an escape plan.
State and federal investigators noted that before the deaths, he allegedly spent a decade stealing millions from customers who had sustained crippling injuries and needed money for medical treatment.
He is also accused of robbing his family's legal practice and assisting in the operation of a narcotics network to launder money.
Why did Alex Murdaugh ask his friend to kill him?
Murdaugh allegedly asked his friend to shoot him on the side of the road so his surviving son Buster would receive $10 million in life insurance.
He is also facing nearly 100 additional state counts for stealing from customers and his own family's legal practice, evading taxes, and committing insurance fraud.
Since testifying during the trial, Murdaugh has maintained that he was not responsible for the murders of Maggie and Paul. He is now constructing an appeals case to have his murder conviction overturned.
Earlier last month, a slew of disturbing pictures showed Murdaugh roaming topless inside his cell.
He snapped dozens of pictures from his prison tablet, which was issued so the prisoner could make monitored calls, watch approved entertainment, read books, or take video classes.
