Alex Murdaugh Blames Addiction as He's Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing from Clients

Mar. 15, 2025

Convicted killer and disgraced attorneyAlex Murdaughwas sentenced on Monday to 40 years in federal prison for multiple fraud schemes to steal from his clients.Murdaugh pleaded guilty in September to money laundering, wire fraud and bank fraud, perNBC News.  In addition to the federal sentence, Murdaugh was previously sentenced to 27 years in state prison for a slew of financial crimes, included money laundering, breach of trust and financial fraud.His federal sentence will run concurrently with his state prison time, theAssociated Pressreported.Murdaugh, a once prominent attorney in the South Carolina Lowcountry region, is currently serving two life sentences in state prison for the June 2021 murders of his wifeMaggie, 52, and sonPaul, 22.At the sentencing in a federal courthouse in Charleston, S.C., U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel said Murdaugh took advantage of “the most needy, vulnerable people,” the AP reported.“They placed all their problems and all their hopes on Mr. Murdaugh and it is from those people he abused and stole. It is a difficult set of actions to understand,” Gergel said, per AP.Alex Murdaugh.Grace Beahm Alford/The Post And Courier via APMurdaugh claimed at sentencing that he was “filled with sorrow and am filled with guilt over the things that I did,” per NBC News.“I do believe that my addiction contributed to me doing some of the things that I did,” Murdaugh said, NBC News reported. “And Judge Gergel, I hope with every cell of my existence, I hope that I will not have done what I did had I not been addicted to opioids.“Alex Murdaugh.Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via APMurdaugh was also ordered to pay more than $8.7 million in restitution to his victims, perCNN.His victims included the family of his longtime housekeeperGloria Satterfield,who died in a mysterious trip and fall.Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.Maggie Murdaugh/FacebookWant to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.“He’s a modern-day monster. He’s the devil,” attorney Eric Bland who represented the Satterfield family as well as others, previously told PEOPLE.Murdaugh came into the national spotlight after he claimed he came home on the night of June 7, 2021, to find Maggie and Paul shot to death on the grounds of their hunting lodge.In July 14, 2022, more than a year after Paul and Maggie’s deaths, Murdaugh was indicted for the murders and later convicted of them.

Convicted killer and disgraced attorneyAlex Murdaughwas sentenced on Monday to 40 years in federal prison for multiple fraud schemes to steal from his clients.

Murdaugh pleaded guilty in September to money laundering, wire fraud and bank fraud, perNBC News.  In addition to the federal sentence, Murdaugh was previously sentenced to 27 years in state prison for a slew of financial crimes, included money laundering, breach of trust and financial fraud.

His federal sentence will run concurrently with his state prison time, theAssociated Pressreported.

Murdaugh, a once prominent attorney in the South Carolina Lowcountry region, is currently serving two life sentences in state prison for the June 2021 murders of his wifeMaggie, 52, and sonPaul, 22.

At the sentencing in a federal courthouse in Charleston, S.C., U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel said Murdaugh took advantage of “the most needy, vulnerable people,” the AP reported.

“They placed all their problems and all their hopes on Mr. Murdaugh and it is from those people he abused and stole. It is a difficult set of actions to understand,” Gergel said, per AP.

Alex Murdaugh.Grace Beahm Alford/The Post And Courier via AP

Grace Beahm Alford/The Post And Courier via AP

Murdaugh claimed at sentencing that he was “filled with sorrow and am filled with guilt over the things that I did,” per NBC News.

“I do believe that my addiction contributed to me doing some of the things that I did,” Murdaugh said, NBC News reported. “And Judge Gergel, I hope with every cell of my existence, I hope that I will not have done what I did had I not been addicted to opioids.”

Alex Murdaugh.Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP

Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP

Murdaugh was also ordered to pay more than $8.7 million in restitution to his victims, perCNN.

His victims included the family of his longtime housekeeperGloria Satterfield,who died in a mysterious trip and fall.

Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.Maggie Murdaugh/Facebook

Maggie Murdaugh/Facebook

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

“He’s a modern-day monster. He’s the devil,” attorney Eric Bland who represented the Satterfield family as well as others, previously told PEOPLE.

Murdaugh came into the national spotlight after he claimed he came home on the night of June 7, 2021, to find Maggie and Paul shot to death on the grounds of their hunting lodge.

In July 14, 2022, more than a year after Paul and Maggie’s deaths, Murdaugh was indicted for the murders and later convicted of them.

source: people.com