Alex Murdaugh indicted on SC tax evasion charges, now has more than 100 criminal charges
In addition to his 90-plus previous indictments, notorious and disgraced former South Carolina lawyer Richard Alexander Murdaugh is now facing tax evasion charges.
S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson announced today that the S.C. State Grand Jury issued new indictments against Murdaugh. Murdaugh was indicted for nine counts of "willful attempt to evade or defeat a tax."
The latest indictments, venued in Hampton County, allege that for tax years 2011-2019, Murdaugh failed to report $6,954,639 of income earned through allegedly illegal acts, thereby "causing state taxable income to be underreported to the State of South Carolina."
Murdaugh owes state tax totaling $486,819, the Attorney General's Office stated in its Friday news release.
These charges only reflect allegations of failing to pay state taxes, and have nothing to do with the payment or nonpayment of federal taxes. Murdaugh could potentially face federal tax evasion charges at a later date if he failed to pay federal taxes on the allegedly stolen money, said Robert Kittle, spokesperson for the AG's Office.
Attorneys and a spokesperson for Murdaugh did not respond to emails seeking comment on Friday.
Willful attempt to evade or defeat a tax is punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000, plus the cost of prosecution.
Altogether, through 19 state indictments containing 99 charges against Murdaugh, the State Grand Jury has indicted Murdaugh for schemes to defraud victims of $8,789,447.77 and the State of South Carolina of $486,819, stated the release.
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Murdaugh is now facing a total of more than 100 criminal charges when local indictments are factored in.
Murdaugh was indicted locally for his alleged role in a 2021 Labor Day weekend roadside shooting incident, and he was indicted by a Colleton County Grand Jury on two counts of murder in connection with the June 7, 2021, shooting deaths of his wife, Maggie, and younger son, Paul, at their Colleton County estate, Moselle.
Currently jailed in Richland County's Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on a $7 million bond, Murdaugh is scheduled to stand trial on the double murder and weapons charges in Colleton County beginning Jan. 23. No trial date has been set for his alleged financial crimes.
With these latest indictments, the State Grand Jury investigation is being conducted by the S.C. Law Enforcement Division, the S.C. Attorney General’s Office, the S.C. Department of Revenue, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Attorney’s Office.
As with the previous 90 State Grand Jury indictments, the tax evasion case will be prosecuted by the S.C. Attorney General’s Office.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Alex Murdaugh update: Now indicted on SC tax evasion charges
