Alex Murdaugh’s longtime friend and former Beaufort attorney Cory Fleming, who’s already serving time for helping the convicted killer steal millions, has been sentenced to more time behind bars, much more.
Dressed in grey, striped prison garb and wearing tortoise shell glasses, Fleming stood before Judge Clifton Newman as he was sentenced to 20-years in prison; 10 for stealing money meant for the family of Murdaugh’s late housekeeper and another 10 for swindling a former client whose family was gravely injured in a car wreck.
Fleming pleaded guilty in federal court earlier this year and was sentenced to 46 months in prison. U.S. Judge Richard Gergel said then the sentence was intended to cover Fleming’s wrongdoings in both federal and state court.
But Judge Newman made in clear he did not have to follow a federal judge and hadn’t even read the court’s decision. He called the crimes unprecedented and unimaginable
“This is, I think the greatest crime for a lawyer in the history of the state of South Carolina,” Judge Newman said.
Before sentencing, several people offered victim impact testimony while others asked the judge for leniency, describing Fleming as a good man. Fleming also threw himself at the court’s mercy.
“Today, I offer this court no excuses. There are no excuses,” Fleming said.
Judge Newman said leniency is not his job.
