'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABfAAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABxAAAQMDAwUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQACAwQGEQUHEhQVM0GTAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEBREBAAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQARISJR/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwCU29tFozLL7Z1TiK8R1ksxgjL2ywsy3gSMhvohS0WNSY84+LURS1QHuWNoQENSif/Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Alex Murdaugh’s former friend and associate Russell Laffitte was convicted of financial fraud last year after he was accused of helping the convicted killer steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from his law firm clients.
Russell Laffitte, who was found guilty in November 2022 on charges of financial fraud for helping Alex Murdaugh steal from his client for years, was denied a new trial after Laffitte appealed his conviction, citing that two of the jurors were replaced mere hours before the verdict.
However, on March 6, 2023, the judge denied the motion and ruled that Laffitte was provided with a fair trial. The judgment was made just days after Alex Murdaugh was convicted for the murder of his wife and son and was sentenced to two life terms without the possibility of parole.
Russell Laffitte's connection with Alex Murdaugh explored as the judge refuses to reconsider the latter's conviction
As per Fox News, Alex Murdaugh and Russell Laffitte wielded significant power in the community as their ancestors rose to prominence around the 1910s. While Murdaugh’s great-grandfather founded a law firm that would see generations of family members serve as top prosecutors in the community, Lafittes founded Palmetto State Bank, where Russell Laffitte would eventually serve as the CEO.
Russell Laffitte was charged with helping Murdaugh steal a significant amount from six of the former lawyer's clients shortly after Alex's financial crimes were made public following the deaths of his son and wife.
Laffitte was found guilty of those charges in November 2022, however, he appealed the verdict, alleging that the trial wasn't fair as the two jurors were replaced during deliberations.
U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel denied the appeal and said that after reviewing sufficient evidence, the accused was convicted beyond a reasonable doubt and noted that Laffitte failed to convince the court of his assertions. Gergel noted:
"Viewing the evidence in a light most favourable to the Government and analyzing whether any rational trier of fact could find the essential elements of the crimes charged beyond a reasonable doubt, the Court finds Defendant has failed to meet his burden for judgment of acquittal."
Russell Laffitte, who was charged with six combined counts of conspiracy, wire fraud, bank fraud, and misapplication of bank funds, was found guilty on all counts last year and will possibly face up to 30 years in prison.
Last week, Alex Murdaugh was sentenced to two life sentences without the possibility of parole after he was found guilty in the murders of his son, Paul, and his wife, Maggie, who were shot to death in June 2021.
Murdaugh, who is undergoing evaluation at the Kirkland detention center, also faces an additional 700 years in prison for his financial crimes.
Shortly before the murders, partners at his law firm had discovered that for years Murdaugh was stealing from the law firm and his clients. During the murder trial, Murdaugh, who is accused of at least 99 financial crimes, testified under oath that he swindled his clients off of millions of dollars in settlements.
