Alex Murdaugh is facing even more charges!
The suspended South Carolina lawyer — who has already been accused of several criminal offenses and is looking sketchy in even more — has now been slammed with another indictment.
On Tuesday, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office announced that Murdaugh (left) and his accomplice Curtis Smith (right) were indicted on criminal conspiracy as well as two counts of drug trafficking — specifically oxycodone. WHUT?!
You may remember Smith since he was the alleged hitman accused of helping the lawyer with a botched murder/suicide attempt last September. He is also facing four money laundering charges, three counts of forgery, and additional drug trafficking charges per this new indictment.
Now, the men have been accused of committing hundreds of illegal transactions “to facilitate the acquisition and distribution of illegally obtained narcotics.” The incidents allegedly occurred across several state counties between 2013 and 2021 and involved the help of others (who have not been publicly identified). Sounds like the more investigators dig, the more crimes — and criminals — they find! Wow!
They have also been accused of conspiring to commit financial crimes during that same time period after Alex allegedly gave Smith over 400 checks worth $2.4 million. The indictment, obtained by The Sun, explained the alleged money laundering and drug running scheme:
“Murdaugh drew the checks on accounts under his control at multiple banks, and made the checks payable to various versions of Smith’s name, as well as to close associates of Smith.”
The statement continued:
“In some instances, Smith forged the endorsement of his close associates without their knowledge or consent, then endorsed the checks himself. In any case, Smith converted the checks into cash or deposits. Murdaugh and Smith structured many of these transactions and used them to facilitate the acquisition and distribution of illegally obtained narcotics.”
At his bond hearing, Smith, 62, denied selling drugs or having any of the money from the alleged checks. He also told the judge that he was dragged into the scheme and that he looks “forward to clearing name.” His bond was set at $250,000. Each money laundering charge carries a punishment of up to 20 years behind bars.
This marks Alex’s 16th (!!!) indictment since his failed suicide attempt last year. The incident happened months after his wife, Margaret, and son, Paul, were found dead at their home on June 7, 2021. Little information is known about what happened to them, but Alex was the one to call 911 after he discovered their bodies. Is he under investigation for their deaths? Does it have something to do with this drug operation??
On September 4, 2021, Murdaugh, 63, called cops declaring that he had been shot in the head by an unknown truck driver on a country road. Days later, he told police the shooter was Smith — and that he had been shot in an attempt to stage his own murder-suicide. Prosecutors have argued that Smith shot Murdaugh as part of a scheme to claim a $10 million issuance payout for Alex’s only surviving son, Buster.
The South Carolina lawyer has since also been accused of stealing millions from a wrongful-death settlement meant for the sons of his former housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, who passed away after a 2018 fall on his property, among a string of other legal issues he’s facing. He has been in jail since October on a $7 million bond. This case just keeps getting bigger and more complex! Any thoughts, Perezcious paralegals?
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