Murdaugh co-conspirator Russell Laffitte sentenced on felony charges

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — Fifty-four-year-old Russell Laffitte was back in state court for sentencing on Monday following a plea deal in September, where the former CEO of Palmetto State Bank pleaded guilty to multiple counts of criminal conspiracies, wire and bank fraud, and breaches of trust.

Prosecutors say Laffitte helped ex-attorney and convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh defraud his own clients and funnel money into their personal accounts.

Judge Heath Taylor confirmed the sentence discussed during the plea deal of eight years in prison — that sentence to run concurrently with his federal sentence of five years.

Laffitte served just over a year in prison before his original conviction was briefly overturned, and has been on house arrest since May, 2022.

Because his prison sentences will run concurrently and account for time served, Laffitte could complete his prison term by mid-2027.

“And when he gets out, if he so much as flinches the wrong way, he’ll be going to state prison. He’s going to have to do some sort of viable community service for 350 hours — and we’re gonna make sure it’s viable and that it really happens,” says Prosecutor Creighton Waters.

Laffitte will also receive five years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution to all victims involved.

“The total restitutionary amount which has been paid was $3,555,884.08,” says Waters.

After the sentencing, the prosecutor spoke about the victims involved to media.

“Many of these victims have had, you know they suffered injury — which is why they were clients to begin with, so they’ve already had some of the worst parts of their life become central to this drama as well. So I think there’s a satisfaction that justice was done, but I think there is also a fatigue there, and that’s only natural,” Waters says.

Laffitte is currently out on bond and on house arrest. He is expected to begin the remainder of his prison sentence in one to three months, following a formal mental and physical evaluation by federal officials.