Murdaugh Saga: Russell Laffitte Gets His Prison Date

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Nearly three weeks after receiving his sentence in U.S. district court in Charleston, South Carolina, convicted fraudster Russell Laffitte has been told he must report to federal authorities next month to begin serving his seven-year term of incarceration.

The former president of Palmetto State Bank (PSB), Laffitte played a key role in facilitating the financial schemes of convicted killer Alex Murdaugh – helping Murdaugh rip off multiple clients and then helping him cover his tracks with loans that never should have been issued and payouts that never should have been made.

Laffitte, 53, of Estill, S.C., also profited from his role in these various conspiracies.

On August 1, 2023, U.S. district court judge Richard Gergel sentenced Laffitte to seven years behind bars for his crimes – a sentence which pleased lead prosecutor Emily Limehouse, whose team meticulously and methodically exposed Laffitte’s conduct during a three-week trial last fall.

“Seven years is a significant sentence,” Limehouse said after the hearing. “It’s a significant sentence in white collar cases like this and we’re pleased with it.”

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Laffitte had been facing up to thirty years behind bars on the six charges he was convicted of last November, but as we predicted at the time the sentencing guidelines were far more lenient on him. Laffitte, incidentally, is currently appealing his convictions. 

According to a motion (.pdf) filed in federal court late Friday by his council, Laffitte received his “designation letter” from the U.S. Marshals Service earlier that same day (August 18, 2023) informing him he must report to them no later than 12:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday September 14, 2023.

However, it now appears Laffitte will be given a one-week extension before he must report.

“The government has agreed to consent to a one-week extension of Laffitte’s reporting date – until September 21, 2023,” the motion noted.

In addition to his federal convictions, Laffitte is facing more than twenty state charges related to the Murdaugh saga. As for Murdaugh himself, he was criminally charged by the feds in late May of this year. That sparked an ongoing battle between state and federal prosecutors over the disposition of the financial charges against him, Laffitte and another alleged co-conspirator, former Beaufort, S.C. attorney Cory Fleming.

Fleming – one of Murdaugh’s closest friends and the godfather to his surviving son, Buster Murdaugh – was sentenced to four years in federal prison earlier this week.

Unlike Laffitte, Fleming elected to surrender and begin serving his sentence immediately.

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THE MOTION …

(Via: U.S. District Court)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven children.

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