US Attorney Emily Limehouse doesn’t appear to be pulling any punches in a sentencing memorandum filed ahead of the August 1 hearing where disgraced banker Russell Laffitte will learn his sentence.
Laffitte is expected to spend anywhere from 9 to 11.4 years in prison after he was found guilty in November 2022 on six separate counts relating to financial crimes, including three counts of misapplication of bank funds, bank fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud through his role as CEO at Palmetto State Bank.
In the memorandum, federal prosecutors noted Laffitte’s failure to accept any responsibility for the crimes he was convicted of.
According to reporting from journalist Drew Tripp, the government is seeking more than $3 million dollars in damages including $1,207,016.14 for Parker Law Group — the organization formerly known as PMPED — and $2,348,868.66 for PSB.
Laffitte is an alleged coconspirator of convicted killer and former attorney Alex Murdaugh; his financial crimes, according to the government’s case against him, were part of an elaborate ruse to steal money from multiple plaintiffs that Murdaugh represented in civil court. In all, Laffitte and Murdaugh are allegedly responsible for at least $3,784,368.98 in losses to the three victims and the bank that Laffitte’s family has owned and operated for decades,
Murdaugh is facing 22 federal charges in connection with the financial crimes allegedly committed with Laffitte beginning in 2011. Murdaugh’s indictment references alleged financial crimes dating back to 2005.
Laffitte, who has been free on bond since his Summer 2022 federal indictment, will appear in court at 10 a.m. on Aug. 1, 2023, and you can expect updates from True Sunlight creator Mandy Matney and True Sunlight co-host Liz Farrell on Twitter as soon as they become available.
You can hear more information about Russell Laffitte in this True Sunlight playlist.
Contact Beth Braden
Beth Braden
Beth Braden is an award-winning investigative journalist who cut her reporting teeth in the hills and hollows of East Tennessee. She joined the LUNASHARK® Media team in 2023 as a researcher and journalist who handles FOIA requests, wading through and analyzing public records, and connecting with sources. She also provides a monthly update for premium members called Soundbites, which is a monthly review of everything happening at LUNASHARK®, and she occasionally writes and records for True Sunlight. Beth has her own solo podcast called Time of Death, which explores the 1992 homicide of Tommy Griffin and Connie Branam in East Tennessee.
Prior to joining the team, Beth’s newspaper work had taken her into deep-dive stories about faith-based serpent handling and Appalachian coal mining, as well as data journalism work to analyze euthanasia drug irregularities at an animal shelter, uncover the most dangerous intersections on her beat, and see whether or not the local judge’s rulings passed muster when cases were appealed to the state appellate court. And of course, she’s been to her fair share of court hearings, city council meetings, and board of education work sessions.
In addition to her newspaper experience, her byline appears on HGTV.com, nytimes.com, and other internationally known websites.
In her spare time, she enjoys quilting, rock climbing, strange museums, and good cups of coffee.
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