Murdaugh Co-Conspirator Cory Fleming to Plead Guilty to Federal Conspiracy Charge

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Cory H. Fleming, 54, of Beaufort, is scheduled to plead guilty in federal court tomorrow, Thursday, May 25, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Fleming is scheduled to plead guilty to an information alleging that from in or around March 2018 until at least October 2020, Fleming conspired with former personal injury attorney Richard Alexander “Alex” Murdaugh to defraud the estate of Murdaugh’s former housekeeper and to obtain money and property from the estate by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses.

In February 2018, Murdaugh’s housekeeper passed away after a fall at Murdaugh’s home. Murdaugh recommended that the housekeeper’s estate hire Fleming—then a personal injury and criminal defense attorney in Beaufort—to represent them and file a claim against Murdaugh to collect from his homeowner’s insurance policies.  Murdaugh’s insurance companies settled the estate’s claim for $505,000 and $3,800,000.

The information alleges that, as part of the scheme, Murdaugh and Fleming conspired to siphon settlement funds, disguised as “prosecution expenses,” for their own personal enrichment. The information further alleges that Fleming directed the drafting of checks from the settlement funds held in his trust account to his personal bank account, fraudulently claiming that the funds were to pay for “expenses” related to the estate’s claim against Murdaugh. The information alleges Fleming knew the funds belonged to the estate, and the payments were not for legitimate legal expenses.

The hearing is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at the J. Waties Waring Judicial Center, 83 Meeting Street, Charleston, South Carolina, in Courtroom 1, before The Honorable Richard M. Gergel.

Fleming faces a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Limehouse, Kathleen Stoughton, and Winston Holliday are prosecuting the case. 

The case against Fleming is No. 9:22-cr-394 (D.S.C.).  The case against Murdaugh is No. 9:23-cr-396 (D.S.C.). 

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