US attorney files motion to dismiss Alex Murdaugh’s appeal of federal sentence
(WCIV) — United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina Adair Boroughs filed a motionThursday in the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to dismiss Alex Murdaugh’s appeal of his federal sentence for financial crimes.
US District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced convicted killer Murdaugh to 40 years for financial crimeson April 1 at a courthouse in Charleston. Additionally, Gergel ordered Murdaugh to pay $8,762,731.88 in restitution and $10,034,377.95 in forfeiture.
In September of 2023, Murdaugh pleaded guilty to 22 charges, including bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, and money laundering.
As part of the plea agreement entered with the government in 2023, Murdaugh waived the right to appeal his conviction. In return, the government agreed to recommend Murdaugh’s sentence be served concurrent to a state sentence imposed for the same conduct.
In the 24-page motion filed Thursday, Boroughs said “Murdaugh entered into a knowing and voluntary appeal waiver, and his challenges to his sentence fall within the scope of that waiver.”
In Murdaugh’s appeal, his lawyers, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, argue based on the Eighth Amendment, his sentence is grossly disproportionate to his crimes. Boroughs argues “[Murdaugh’s]mere expectation of a lower sentence” is no basis for getting out of his appeal waiver agreement.
56-year-old Murdaugh is already serving two life sentences for the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul.
They were killed June 7, 2021 at the Murdaughs’ Moselle estate.
In July of 2024, Murdaugh’s attorneys asked the South Carolina Supreme Court to reviewa ruling in which a judge denied his motion for a retrial in January after allegations of jury tampering by the clerk of court surfaced.
Former South Carolina Chief Justice Jean Toal denied Murdaugh’s motion for a retrial on Jan. 29 in the double homicide of his wife Maggie and son Paul in a decision that took less than eight hours.
You can read News 4’s extensive coverage of the Murdaugh saga at the “Murdaugh Murders” section of our website.
You can read the full motion here.
