Wikipedia Biography / Profile Background
Introduction :
- Cory Fleming is a former lawyer and longtime friend of Alex Murdaugh, the once-prominent lawyer who was convicted of murdering his of his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and their young adult son, Paul Murdaugh. Cory was convicted of financial fraud as he had helped Alex and lost his bar privileges.
Family, Marriage and Children :
- Cory has been married to his wife, Jennifer Fleming for over 25 years. They have two adult children, now in their twenties.
- Cory had met Jennifer shortly after law school. She has devoted her career to being a Public Defender.
- Jennifer had practiced in Richland Country from 1988 until May 1993 and later in Beaufort County from June 1993 until March 2001.
- She worked part-time (practicing family law) while their children were younger and, then, in January 2017, she returned to the Beaufort County Public Defender’s Office where she spends her days representing juveniles, majority from impoverished backgrounds.
Education : Qualifications, High School & College Info
- Cory Fleming was born in 1969 in Columbia to young, financially struggling parents. At the time of Cory’s birth, his father was attending the University of South Carolina and his mother was studying to be a dental hygienist at Midlands Technical College.
- Cory’s parents moved to Savannah, Georgia, when he was seven years old and divorced when he was twelve. He doesn’t have any siblings.
- For his education, Cory attended the University of South Carolina for a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and graduated in 1990.
- He went on to get his law degree from the same university and graduated from that in 1994.
- While in college, Cory met Alex Murdaugh who became his close friend. Cory was also a groomsman at Alex’s wedding in 1994.
Career, Salary and Net Worth :
- After he became a member of the South Carolina Bar in November of 1994, Cory began his law career as an Assistant Solicitor in the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office working for Randolph Murdaugh.
- In 1996, he began private practice in Beaufort, South Carolina at Moss and Kuhn which later became Moss, Kuhn & Fleming. His practice consisted of approximately 90% criminal cases and 10% civil cases.
- On October 8, 2021, Mr. Fleming was placed on interim suspension from the South Carolina Bar. He has since submitted his voluntary resignation to both the South Carolina and Georgia Bars.
Case of Fraud & Verdict : Where is Cory Fleming now?
- In 2018, Cory’s friend, Alex Murdaugh’s housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield died after falling down the stairs at his home. Murdaugh claimed he was responsible for her death and sued himself.
- He then referred the case to Cory, who represented Satterfield’s sons, Tony and Brian.
- Cory then went on to negotiate a settlement with Murdaugh’s insurance company for 4.3 million dollars, but instead of paying Satterfield’s sons, he and Murdaugh diverted the money to fake bank accounts that they controlled. They also forged documents and signatures.
- In August 2021, Satterfield’s sons filed a lawsuit against Murdaugh and Cory for stealing the settlement money.
- In September 2021, Cory was arrested and indicted on 18 counts of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice by federal prosecutors. He was sentenced to three years and 10 months in federal prison.
- In October 2021, Cory was also charged by state prosecutors for breach of trust with fraudulent intent, obtaining signature or property under false pretenses, forgery and conspiracy for his role in stealing from Satterfield’s and Pinckney’s families. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in state prison. His two sentences will run concurrently.
