CHARLESTON, S.C. — The banker accused of serving to disgraced former South Carolina legal professional Alex Murdaugh disguise tens of millions of stolen price range pleaded in charge Friday to federal financial institution and cord fraud fees.
Russell L. Laffitte, 54, entered the plea after convictions at the identical fees have been overturned by means of an appeals court docket ultimate 12 months.
Laffitte used to be one in every of a number of other folks investigators mentioned have been ensnared by means of Murdaugh as he stole tens of millions from his regulation company and purchasers in wrongful dying and severe harm circumstances.
Murdaugh is serving a lifestyles sentence for the killings of his spouse and son in 2021.
On Friday, Laffitte, of Estill, pleaded in charge to conspiracy to devote twine fraud and financial institution fraud, separate twine and financial institution fraud fees and misapplication of financial institution price range. Below the phrases of the settlement, Laffitte agreed to pay $3.5 million in restitution sooner than his sentencing. If he complies, prosecutors agreed to suggest a five-year sentence, consistent with a information liberate from the U.S. Legal professional in South Carolina.
Federal pass judgement on Richard M. Gergel will impose a sentence at a later date, consistent with the discharge.
“Russell Laffitte and Alex Murdaugh abused their positions of energy to victimize individuals who relied on them,” mentioned Ben Garner, leader of the U.S. Legal professional place of business’s legal department. “As of these days, each have pleaded in charge and authorised duty for his or her crimes in federal court docket.”
Laffitte changed into the court-appointed safekeeper of agreement cash for a few of Murdaugh’s maximum susceptible purchasers, together with kids who misplaced their folks, investigators mentioned.
Prosecutors mentioned Laffitte accrued up to $450,000 in untaxable charges for shifting the cash and stored different cash in his function. He additionally despatched massive exams from the agreement accounts to Murdaugh, who used to be juggling mounting money owed he would later blame on an opioid habit.
Laffitte’s 2022 conviction at the identical fees used to be overturned by means of a federal appeals court docket ultimate 12 months after the court docket dominated the trial pass judgement on had interviewed a juror throughout deliberations with out legal professionals or Laffitte within the room. The court docket held that the interview with out Laffitte or his legal professional provide violated his constitutional proper to an independent jury.
