Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh has been indicted on tax evasion charges for allegedly failing to report more than $2.1 million in income he earned in 2020 and 2021 through illegal activity.
Murdaugh had been previously indicted on tax evasion charges for actions that allegedly took place between 2011 and 2019, CBS News reported. In total, Murdaugh has been indicted 20 times on 101 charges, including fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion.
Part of the charges includes an alleged scheme to defraud the disgraced attorney’s clients out of nearly $9 million and failing to pay more than $600,000 in taxes to the state of South Carolina.
The latest indictment for tax evasion comes nearly two months after Murdaugh was found guilty of killing his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul. The decision came after just a few hours of deliberation and a six-week trial where more than 70 witnesses testified. Murdaugh has maintained his innocence, suggesting his son Paul was the main target for the murders due to his involvement in a 2019 boat crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach.
Murdaugh spent nearly two days testifying in his own defense at his trial and immediately admitted to lying for years about his whereabouts on the day his wife and son were murdered.
The prosecution had already argued that Murdaugh lied about not going to the dog kennels on the day his wife and son were murdered. Prosecutor Creighton Waters previously pointed to cell phone evidence taken from Paul’s phone less than five minutes before he was killed. Paul had filmed one of the dogs to send to a friend, and prosecutors allege Murdaugh’s voice can be heard in the background of the recording. Murdaugh has said he wasn’t at the kennels that night. Prosecutors allege that Murdaugh murdered his wife and son around 8:49 p.m., just a few minutes after the video was taken.
When Murdaugh took the stand, his defense attorneys asked him if he had lied to police about his whereabouts on the night his family was murdered, and Murdaugh admitted to lying.
“I lied about being down there, and I’m so sorry that I did,” Murdaugh said, according to People Magazine.
Murdaugh maintained that he did not murder his wife and son, whom he referred to by nicknames “Mags” and “Paul Paul.” He claimed during his testimony that his alleged drug addiction made him “paranoid,” which caused him to lie.
“As my addiction evolved over time I would get in these situations or circumstances where I would get paranoid,” Murdaugh testified. “I’m sorry I lied.”
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Murdaugh also testified that his son Paul was receiving threats over his involvement in the boat crash that killed Beach. Paul was indicted on one count of boating under the influence causing death and two counts of causing significant bodily injury.
“Paul got the most vile threats — the stuff that was on social media — you couldn’t believe it,” Murdaugh testified, according to People. “You couldn’t believe it. It was so over the top, truthfully we didn’t think anything about it, it was so crazy. People talking about what he was going to get. … We disregarded it. It was so over the top.”
If convicted of tax evasion, Murdaugh faces up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000 plus attorneys fees, CBS reported. He is already serving two consecutive life sentences for the murders of his family members.