Federal trial for alleged Murdaugh accomplice set to begin Tuesday

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – An alleged accomplice of Alex Murdaugh will go to Federal trial this week in Downtown Charleston. Russell Laffitte is facing bank fraud charges, wire fraud charges, conspiracy charges, and more connected to alleged financial schemes with disbarred attorney Alex Murdaugh.

Laffitte is the former CEO of his family’s bank, Palmetto State Bank, and allegedly used his position at the bank to carry out the crimes. Laffitte was fired from the position in early 2022.

Laffitte’s defense will likely look to paint their client as a pawn and victim in Murdaugh’s schemes who made honest mistakes and has worked to repay alleged victims.

The government is looking to show Laffitte and Murdaugh had a long-standing relationship, having grown up across the street from each other. Federal prosecutors will likely also look to show Laffitte and Murdaugh used their power to swindle clients out of more than a million dollars.

U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel will preside over Laffitte’s case. Judge Gergel says jurors will be asked about their knowledge of the case and how closely they’ve followed the connected Murdaugh cases.

Judge Gergel emphasized the need for a fair trial and plans to ask the jury roughly 40 questions to narrow qualified jurors down. The parties say they want 36 jurors.

Prosecutors and Laffitte’s defense discussed several issues during Monday’s hearing. Among the issues; includes whether or not evidence or witnesses can be presented during the trial. Judge Gergel says he plans to make those decisions during the hearings unless the defense and prosecutors previously agreed to allow them.

Laffitte’s attorneys say they plan to introduce evidence that puts the Murdaugh family law firm at the center of the scheme and plan to call Alex Murdaugh to the stand as a witness. During court and in a motion filed late Monday afternoon, federal prosecutors believe Murdaugh will plead the 5th to protect himself from self-incriminalization and asked Judge Gergel to deny the request.

All witnesses and people involved in the trial will be sequestered during the hearings to keep them isolated from media and outside influences.

Plea negotiations happened behind closed doors during Monday’s hearing, but no agreement was reached by federal prosecutors and Laffitte’s defense.

Trial hearings will start each morning around 9 am and run until roughly 6 pm each night at the Federal Courthouse in Downtown Charleston.

Jury selection for the trial will start Tuesday at 10 am. Judge Gergel is hopeful they’ll get through jury selection and to opening arguments by the afternoon.