Simply days after convicted assassin Alex Murdaugh was ordered to pay virtually $15 million to Nautilus Insurance coverage Co., his buddy and co-conspirator is about to begin trial in a civil go well with introduced by Nautilus for his position within the alleged fraud.
Distinguished South Carolina legal professional Murdaugh, in a sensational case that had been adopted worldwide, was convicted in 2023 of killing his spouse and son. He additionally pleaded responsible to 27 counts of monetary crimes that got here as a part of a violent, downward spiral that additionally included the demise of his household’s longtime housekeeper.
Final week, after Murdaugh admitted conspiring along with his buddy and fellow South Carolina damage legal professional Cory Fleming to defraud Nautilus, a court docket ordered Murdaugh to pay $14.8 million in damages to the insurance coverage firm. Now, Fleming, who additionally pleaded guilty to serving to Murdaugh steal thousands and thousands from the insurance coverage settlement, begins trial in Charleston within the federal civil go well with over the identical fraud, in response to native information reviews.
The Murdaughs’ housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, reportedly fell to her demise on the steps of the household’s searching camp in 2018. Murdaugh claimed his canines tripped the lady and he satisfied her household to file a declare in opposition to his umbrella legal responsibility coverage. When Nautilus, a W.R. Berkley firm, defended Murdaugh and paid $3.8 million on the declare, Murdaugh and Fleming then siphoned a lot of the proceeds for his or her private use, court docket paperwork allege.
Nautilus attorneys have argued that the insurer was injured and deceived, and the surplus and surplus provider is accusing Fleming of civil conspiracy and negligence. Fleming’s authorized workforce has stated that Nautilus had time to research the declare and by no means discovered proof of fraud, WCSC TV information has reported.
However the Charleston Publish and Courier newspaper reported in June {that a} Nautilus insurance coverage agent and two attorneys had raised suspicions concerning the Satterfield claims. These issues had been revealed in federal court docket paperwork and in emails obtained by the newspaper. Nonetheless, the agent stated it will be troublesome to show fraud, and the provider settled with Satterfield’s property.
After the felony prosecutions of Murdaugh and Fleming, Nautilus had the proof it wanted and filed go well with. Fleming’s trial started Monday and is anticipated to final lower than every week, information websites have reported. The Nautilus amended grievance might be seen here. Murdaugh’s umbrella coverage is here.
Photograph: Fleming at his sentencing in Beaufort, South Carolina, in 2023. (AP Photograph/James Pollard)
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