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Four charged in alleged billion dollar healthcare fraud tied to Russian transnational criminal organization
Four people in New Hampshire have been charged for their alleged roles in a long-running, $3 billion healthcare fraud and money laundering operation, prosecutors announced this week.
Fructoso de Jesus Gomez Agudelo, 76, of Nashua, is charged with wire fraud and accused of stealing another person's identity.
Kakha Bendeliani, 48, and Goga Danelia, 31, both from the country of Georgia, were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering by submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare.
Bendeliani and Danelia allegedly laundered proceeds for a Russian transnational criminal organization that participated in the largest identity theft-driven healthcare fraud scheme ever prosecuted, authorities said.
The investigation began after thousands of people, including the elderly and those with disabilities, contacted Medicare after receiving Explanation of Benefits (EOB) forms. The forms indicated they had received durable medical equipment (DME) that they never actually ordered or received.
MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR HEALTHCARE FRAUD SCHEME INCLUDED GIVING PEOPLE 'UNNECESSARY' SKIN GRAFTS: DOJ
The criminal network orchestrated the multi-billion-dollar healthcare fraud and money laundering scheme that sought to steal from Medicare, other government-sponsored health insurance programs and private health insurance companies, prosecutors said.
"These charges expose the staggering scale of fraud and money laundering that Transnational Criminal Organizations are willing to inflict on our health care system and the people of New Hampshire," Erin Creegan, U.S. attorney for the District of New Hampshire, said of the charges against Danelia and Bendeliani.
Separately, Rima Gerges-Maalouf, 60, of Massachusetts, was charged with diverting controlled prescription drugs while working as a pharmacist in New Hampshire. Investigators accused her of opening up drug capsules to steal the powdered medication inside.
STOLEN IDS SOLD FOR ‘HAPPY MEAL’ PRICES FUEL BILLIONS IN US BENEFIT FRAUD
The indictments allege a wide variety of fraud.
Agudelo allegedly stole and assumed the identity of a U.S. citizen for over 20 years, using the stolen persona to apply for and steal over $500,000 in public assistance — including Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, housing and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Meanwhile, Bendeliani allegedly acted as the "nominee owner" of a fraudulent medical equipment front company called Centennial Med Supply LLC. He allegedly allowed others to use his personal information to buy the business and set up bank accounts across six U.S. banks.
He then allegedly withdrew $12,589,770 in fraudulent Medicare payouts derived from a massive $3 billion urinary catheter billing scam. He used cashier's checks to hide the money's origin before wiring more than $12.5 million to overseas accounts.
HOSPICE FRAUD USES STOLEN IDENTITIES FOR FAKE PATIENTS
Danelia was Bendeliani's primary accomplice, the Justice Department said.
Since Bendeliani did not speak fluent English or drive, Danelia allegedly provided driving and English translation services to help him navigate U.S. banks.
Danelia also helped Bendeliani open accounts, withdraw the fraudulent cash via cashier's checks and move it into secondary accounts. The funds were ultimately wired out of the U.S., authorities said.
While working as a temporary, per diem pharmacist at a pharmacy in New Hampshire in August 2024, Gerges-Maalouf also allegedly stole prescription pills and capsule medication powders meant for sick patients.
She kept the medication and ingested some of the stolen drugs while actively on duty, according to the DOJ. In total, she is accused of stealing 147 pills or capsules of controlled substances in a single month.
All four suspects face decades in prison if convicted.
Haters who framed Caitlin Clark's success as racial now dismiss race when she's targeted on the court
Caitlin Clark was violently fouled again Wednesday night, this time when Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas appeared to drive her fist into Clark's throat. Officials didn't call a foul. The following day, the WNBA suspended Thomas for one game.
Predictably, the usual suspects in sports media spent Thursday dismissing any suggestion that the play had anything to do with race.
"Some of you dummies can’t help but make any issue no matter what about race huh? You support someone, it’s race related. You don’t support someone, it’s race related. The stupidity of a lot of you has zero bottom. It’s amazing. But then again, it isn’t. It’s 2026," ESPN analyst Louis Riddick posted on X.
WNBA SUSPENDS ALYSSA THOMAS FOR 'RECKLESSLY' HITTING CAITLIN CLARK IN THROAT DURING SCRAMBLE
Jemele Hill went further, accusing those who believed officials should have called a foul of "implying that [Clark] should receive special treatment because she’s straight and white."
She then directed the criticism at me after I argued that Clark deserved to be officiated like every other player, regardless of her race.
How dare I?
"Secondly, y’all the ones always hollering and crying about race being brought up too much … but surprise, surprise, that isn’t the case now," she tweeted.
No one can say for certain that Thomas cheap-shotted Clark because she is White. But it's entirely reasonable to ask whether race played a role. After all, the same people dismissing that possibility have spent the past three years arguing that race and/or racism explain nearly every aspect of Clark's career.
They have repeatedly claimed that Clark became the biggest star in women's basketball because she is a straight White woman.
"We would all be very naive if we didn’t say race and her sexuality played a role in her popularity. While so many people are happy for Caitlin’s success, including the players, this has had such an enormous impact on the game, there is a part of it that is a little problematic because of what it says about the worth and the marketability of the players who are already there," Hill told the Los Angeles Times in 2024.
ESPN analyst Monica McNutt accused young White girls of gravitating toward Clark because she is White. Stephen A. Smith made similar arguments. So did Shannon Sharpe, "The View," USA Today and the New York Times, along with numerous current and former players.
Several of those same players have also accused Clark of benefiting from "white privilege" because she refuses to speak publicly about alleged racism against Black women in the WNBA. Angel Reese even posted a TikTok mocking Clark as a "white girl afraid to catch the fade," alongside a photo of herself confronting Clark.
Last summer, ESPN published a remarkably irresponsible article portraying Clark's fan base as racially threatening. The author described attending a Fever-Sun game where she noticed a fan wearing a MAGA hat. She never explained why that constituted racism. Instead, she concluded the atmosphere itself felt threatening.
"Every time the Fever scored," she wrote, "the crowd would erupt, but it didn’t feel like fans were rooting for their team. It felt like a threat."
Initially, many of these same individuals denied that Clark was targeted at all. When Chennedy Carter blindsided Clark in 2024, they insisted she was simply "playing basketball."
Two years later, that argument has become harder to maintain. The cheap shots are too frequent, too blatant and too consistent. So the narrative has shifted. The fouls are now acknowledged, but any suggestion they reflect a broader pattern is dismissed.
The problem is that these race idolaters cannot have it both ways.
If race is responsible for the advantages Clark enjoys, as they have repeatedly argued, then it must also remain a legitimate consideration when examining the disadvantages she faces, including the way she is officiated.
Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White made that point after Wednesday's game.
"We have a generational talent and WNBA superstar, with two cheap shots right there, that weren’t called," White said. "She is not called the way everybody else is called."
The obvious question is: why?
One explanation is that years of media coverage have shaped attitudes inside the league. If players are repeatedly told Clark owes her popularity, wealth, and influence to racial privilege rather than extraordinary ability, it should surprise no one if some eventually resent her.
And that's increasingly what these incidents resemble: repeated hostility directed at one player.
Three years into Clark's professional career, there is still no evidence that she represents the great White hope. She is a cultural icon for the same reasons as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Steph Curry and Tiger Woods are cultural icons. Clark is a generational talent with a uniquely entertaining style of play.
In the meantime, she looks more like the great White target with every fist to throat, nail to the eye and shove to the floor.
It is no wonder figures such as Jemele Hill and Louis Riddick have become so defensive. They spent years encouraging audiences to interpret Clark's career through the lens of race. Now others are applying that same framework to Clark's treatment on the court.
It ain't no fun when the rabbit got the gun, is it?
Ex-NFL player Doug Martin's family sue Oakland police, allege restraint asphyxia in fatal mental health crisis
The family of former NFL running back Doug Martin has sued the city of Oakland, its police department and an ambulance company, alleging their actions contributed to the circumstances surrounding his death.
In the suit, the late NFL star’s parents claim police played a role in the 36-year-old’s death and allege paramedics failed to respond quickly enough to calls for medical care. Martin’s parents, Leslie and Douglas, filed the lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
The suit states the plaintiffs believe Martin died from restraint asphyxia, which they allege was "caused by Oakland police officers and the FALCK NORCAL paramedics’ failure to provide timely medical care." He was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
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Leslie called paramedics in response to her son having a mental-health crisis on Oct. 18. Martin then fled and hid in a neighbor’s house two doors away, where the Oakland Police Department found him in the basement, according to the suit.
According to the suit, Leslie called paramedics Oct. 18 after her son began experiencing a mental-health crisis. Martin then left the home and hid in a neighbor’s house. Oakland police later located him in the basement. Furthermore, the lawsuit says law enforcement officers physically restrained Martin and placed him "face down while one or more officers pressed on his back." When officers turned Martin on his side, he was unresponsive, at which point the suit alleges that the officers thought he was "sleeping or pretending to be asleep."
DETAILS EMERGE IN DEATH OF EX-NFL STAR DOUG MARTIN
The lawsuit also alleges law enforcement restrained Martin, placed him "face down while one or more officers pressed on his back," and later found him unresponsive after turning him on his side. Officers believed Martin was "sleeping or pretending to be asleep," the suit continued. It also alleges that at least one officer requested medical assistance while Martin was still unresponsive.
The Martin family alleges the response was not immediate enough, claiming Falck Northern California paramedics arrived about 15 minutes after the call for service was made, per the suit. "When they arrived," the suit says, they "did not promptly provide medical care."
"They just want to know what happened," John Burris, a lawyer representing the family, told The Athletic. "Here’s a situation where the mother was calling for help. He was emotionally out of it, and she was calling for help."
EX-NFL STAR DOUG MARTIN WAS DEALING WITH 'MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES' BEFORE DEATH, REP SAYS
"When you call for help and the police come, it’s not a death warrant. You don’t expect the person to die." Burris continued. He added that an independent pathologist, who was not named, told Martin’s parents that restraint asphyxia may have been their son’s cause of death.
Martin’s parents are seeking damages, including for wrongful death, hospital and medical expenses, coroner’s fees, funeral and burial expenses, loss of support and familial relationship, among several others.
Burris noted that Martin’s mother sent her son’s brain to Boston, where the Boston University CTE Center is based, in an effort to learn whether he developed chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a disease that can be diagnosed only after death. While the pathologist told Burris that a CTE finding "really has no consequence as it relates to the cause of death," Burris said the family is seeking a clearer picture of Martin’s brain health.
The Oakland Police Department has a policy of not publicly commenting on pending litigation. Fox News Digital was referred to the Oakland city attorney’s office, which also did not offer comment on the case. Representatives for Falck Northern California could not immediately be reached for comment.
Martin, an Oakland native, closed out his NFL career with the then-Oakland Raiders in 2018. Before that, he spent six seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who selected him in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
He received a four-game suspension in 2016 for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. After testing positive for Adderall, Martin revealed plans to enter a treatment program.
Martin finished his NFL run with more than 5,300 rushing yards and was named to two Pro Bowl teams. He played college football at Boise State.
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EXCLUSIVE: DHS asks Florida not to release illegal immigrant accused of drugging, raping woman after clubbing
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is asking Florida authorities not to release an illegal immigrant accused of drugging and raping a woman.
Yusel Keoma Perez-Leyva, 42, a Cuban citizen, was arrested on June 18, after a woman claimed she had been drugged and sexually assaulted following a night of clubbing.
The woman alleged that Perez-Leyva, who was operating as an Uber driver, drugged her. A day after the alleged assault, she noticed soreness in her vaginal area, leading her to believe she had been raped.
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Surveillance video reviewed by investigators showed Perez-Leyva carrying the victim, who appeared inebriated, into his apartment, NBC Miami reported.
"This illegal alien from Cuba is charged with raping and kidnapping a woman in Miami," said DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. "This sexual predator was released into our country by the Biden Administration. ICE has lodged a detainer against him, and because Florida cooperates with ICE, he will be turned over to ICE custody and never released into American communities again."
Perez-Leyva is charged with kidnapping and sexual battery while a victim was physically incapacitated, according to jail records.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has asked the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department (MDCR) not to release him without first notifying federal authorities.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the MDCR for comment.
Miami-Dade authorities, and Florida as a whole, generally cooperate with ICE and honor the agency's detainers, unlike sanctuary jurisdictions in other states.
Perez-Leyva illegally entered the United States through Arizona in 2021 before being released by the Biden administration, DHS said.
Guy Fieri, the Mayor of Flavortown, joins NASCAR's Legacy Motor Club as strategic owner
Celebrities getting into motorsports ownership is nothing new, with Michael Jordan co-owning 23XI Racing in NASCAR, David Letterman having a piece of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in IndyCar, and many, many more.
But there's a new celebrity motorsports owner on the block, and his name is Guy Fieri, the Mayor of Flavortown.
On Thursday, Fieri was announced as a new "strategic owner" of Cup Series team Legacy Motor Club.
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"Motorsports and race cars have always had that raw energy I love — the people, the passion, the culture, the speed," Fieri said in a statement. "Legacy Motor Club is building something different, and I wanted to be part of it. This is about more than racing — it’s about creating a brand that connects with fans everywhere, from the track to the table."
Legacy Motor Club is about to have the best catering in all of NASCAR, and it won't even be close.
Any other team rolling into the track with giant bottles of Donkey Sauce?
Yeah, I don't think so...
6 FOODS EVEN GUY FIERI REFUSES TO EAT — SOME COMMON, SOME BIZARRE
Of course, Fieri — a restaurateur, entrepreneur and Emmy-winning TV host — is a car guy. If you've ever seen an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" (and if you haven't, how?! I think dentists' offices play it at this point), you've seen Fieri cruising to mom-and-pop joints across the nation in his 1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible.
"Guy has built an incredible brand by being authentic and connecting with people in a real way," Legacy Motor Club co-owner and NASCAR great Jimmie Johnson said. "That’s at the heart of what we’re building here. We want Legacy to reach far beyond race day, and Guy’s creativity, energy, and perspective are exactly what this ownership group is about."
Fieri will be involved in collaborative content, fan engagement initiatives and licensed merchandise that tie racing, food and lifestyle culture together.
Of course, there's still the matter of on-track action, and right now, Erik Jones, who drives the No. 43 car for Legacy Motor Club, is having a really solid year and is currently sitting 14th in the standings.
Meanwhile, his teammate, John Hunter Nemechek in the No. 42, is currently in 27th.
Florida tattoo shop refuses service to military and veterans for being 'war criminals'
A Florida tattoo shop is facing backlash following a social media post from the shop that said active-duty military members and veterans are not welcome at the company, prompting online criticism.
A June 23 post from Revival Tattoo Collective in Largo, Florida, read, "People all in their feelings because I expressed my opinion of the military and law enforcement. My opinion is that the military is a bunch of war criminals and law enforcement kills babies and unarmed citizens in the street. If you don’t like my opinion cool, but you’re not going to change it. Call me short, post records from 20 years ago, threaten the health dept, use homophobic slurs. That only proves my point and shows the true character of our military. Thanks for showing your true colors."
The post added, "Once again for the slow ones the military. Pretty simple if you are ex military or currently serving just don’t come to the shop. You will be turned away."
SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS OVER MAMDANI'S SILENCE AFTER BROOKLYN COFFEE SHOP BANS JEWISH CONGRESSMAN
The shop was founded by Brady Martinson, who is described on the website as "a tattooist and sign painter — script, blackletter, and custom typography on skin. He treats every word as architecture: measured, weighted, and built to live a lifetime."
A few of the replies to the controversial post appeared to agree with the sentiment, with one woman saying, "The military preys on underprivileged youth by luring them in with promises to pay for college and makes it sound like it’s their only opportunity to get ahead in life. ACAB."
ACAB is an abbreviation for "all cops are b----ds."
But many of the replies were negative.
DEM SENATE HOPEFUL UNDER FIRE FOR RESURFACED COMMENTS CALLING COPS 'OPPORTUNISTIC COWARDS'
One person wrote, "This kind of thinking is disappointing and immature. Judging an entire group by the actions of a few is the same type of prejudice I’m sure you claim to oppose. (IE: Against a race, the lgbtq community, etc…) There are good and bad people in every profession and every walk of life."
They added, "I’ve served alongside people of every background imaginable and some of the most selfless, compassionate individuals I’ve met wear a uniform. Reducing millions of military members and law enforcement officers to the worst examples among them isn’t being "woke" or smart — it’s just bias. If you are going to reject stereotypes, you should reject them consistently. Heal yourself and break this never-ending cycle of conflict among humans."
Another person replied, "Lmao it must be so peaceful being this ignorant."
DOJ INVESTIGATING NYC COFFEE SHOP OVER HOSTILE SOCIAL POST ABOUT PRO-ISRAEL POLITICIAN
"I don't agree with your opinion, but that doesn't mean I won't fight for your right to say it. Please keep in mind that the First Amendment merely proyects [sic] you from being punished by the government for your speech. It does not protect you from the consequences of what you say," another commentator wrote.
One gun replied to the post with a gif that said, "Stop breaking the law a--hole."
Another posted a reply saying, "I'll go and just wont tell you till after lmao," and Revival Tattoo Collective responded to the post with, "No you won’t."
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the shop said, "Yeah I’m booked up I can’t take any clients military or civilian. Thanks for your interest on my opinion."
Team USA's unsung hero has the team poised to make historic World Cup run as it wraps up group play
As the U.S. Men's National Team continues their torrid run through the group stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, many familiar names have stepped up their play to help guide the squad to back-to-back wins in the tournament for the first time since 1930.
Coincidentally, that 1930 team was the last one to advance past the quarterfinals of the World Cup, and if America wants to reach those heights again, they will need to rely on more than just their marquee players to get there.
Guys like Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun are well known to most soccer fans, but a name that hasn't been as talked about until recently has been midfielder Malik Tillman.
The 24-year-old has plenty of big-game experience, playing in top-flight European leagues for PSV and Bayer Leverkusen, but Tillman has kicked his play into another gear during the first two games of the USMNT's 2026 World Cup journey.
Tillman had a brilliant assist against Paraguay in the United States' 4-1 rout that signified their arrival as a force to be reckoned with in this year's tournament, but it goes beyond the stat sheet.
The German-American sensation was all over the field for both group stage games, showing off flashy back-heel passes and displaying a confidence well beyond his years.
It's not a stretch to say Tillman has been the best player on the USMNT, and you could make the argument that he's the best player of the tournament so far.
USA WORLD CUP TEAM CLINCHES SPOT IN KNOCKOUT STAGE AFTER ANOTHER HISTORIC PERFORMANCE VS AUSTRALIA
That's not just hot air and American "homerism" speaking — the advanced analytics back it up.
According to Gradient Sports, Tillman has graded out as the highest-rated player of the entire group stage through two games.
If you thought Tillman flashed on your screen as much or more than anyone during America's games against Paraguay and Australia, your eyes didn't deceive you.
Tillman will be an integral part of the USMNT's plans for making a run through the knockout stages of the tournament.
I would say he has to elevate his game to an even higher level, but I'm not sure that's possible given what we've seen.
He's been, quite literally, nearly perfect, and if he continues his superb play in the midfield, there is no ceiling to what this American squad can do.
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Manager Mauricio Pochettino has gotten this United States team to play at a level few American fans have seen in their collective lifetimes, and one of the unsung heroes of this whole operation is Tillman.
Appreciate what you're seeing from this USMNT.
This is a squad firing on all cylinders with a bunch of quality players in the primes of their careers.
Cherish it, because who knows when we will see it again.
Fan celebrates Mexico advancing in the World Cup by dunking his head into a cotton candy machine
Thanks to a 3-0 beatdown of Czechia at Mexico City Stadium — a.k.a. Azteca Stadium — Mexico wrapped up group play with three wins to top Group A and move on to the knockout stage.
Sure, anything less than getting out of their group would've been a monumental letdown for a competitive Mexican team representing a soccer-mad nation, but fans were still fired up about advancing as dominantly as they did.
How excited? Well, one fan was so pumped he decided to dunk his head into a cotton candy machine.
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The video started making the rounds on social media and... well, it is as advertised.
It is indeed a man sticking his head straight into a cotton candy machine.
He came out of that looking like a sugary version of the Wolfman.
I don't want to be that guy, but I hope this was the end of the night for that cotton candy stand. Imagine waiting in line for cotton candy, then the guy in front of you does that?
FOX ONE’S NEW WORLD CUP VIEWING EXPERIENCE
The vendor would be like, "Pink or blue?" and you'd be like, "I think I'm actually in the mood for a churro..."
Mexican fans are wild. During the 2014 World Cup, some friends and I went to Cancun and watched a Mexico-Brazil match with fans at our resort's sports bar. That match ended as a 0-0 draw, but it's still one of the best sports-watching experiences of my entire life.
The place was just insane.
And, if you need further proof of that, may I direct your attention back to Cotton Candy Head?
If this is how he celebrated advancing to the Round of 32, can you imagine what he'll do if Mexico makes a deep run in this tournament?
I have a feeling it'd make even the "Jackass" crew cringe.
Father Carlos Martins recounts chilling exorcism, claims woman moved objects without touching them
Father Carlos Martins shared a harrowing account of performing an exorcism, describing the chilling moments a woman exhibited unexplained strength and defied gravitational norms.
"She hit my skull with such force I needed two surgeries to repair the damage," he said during a new episode of "Hang Out with Sean Hannity."
Martins recalled how the woman lifted and threw a large man across the room like a rag doll, sending him 15 feet with "remarkable" fluidity.
"He did a complete turn in the air and landed on his rear end," the Catholic priest said.
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Martins described how the possessed woman caused a screw to unscrew itself without touching anything, then watched as it flew into her hand.
"And then she pointed at the light switch on the wall. You know, a typical light switch has two screws. The cover plate has two screws holding it in the wall," he said. "The top one unscrewed itself."
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"It came through the air into her hand, into her open hand, and then she drove it into her left arm," he continued.
The Catholic priest, who said he has encountered "multiple dozens" of possessed individuals, described how another man exhibited animalistic behavior and a 14-year-old whose reflection disappeared in the mirror.
"I have seen, for example, somebody jump out of a chair and start hissing like a cat and his canine teeth seemed to be over an inch long," he told Fox News host Sean Hannity.
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"There was a young lady, a girl, 14 years old or so. Her reflection wouldn't show up in the mirror. So, you could be there in a group in front of the mirror, everybody will show up. She doesn't. In a photograph, the whole group will show up. She doesn't."
Martins attributed those phenomena to the devil’s ability to "bend light."
He said the 1973 horror film "The Exorcist" accurately portrays many aspects of a real-life exorcism, including people displaying extraordinary strength, saying "everything" in the movie could happen — with the exception of the famous moment when the girl's head made a 360-degree turn.
Martins said every diocese is required to have at least one exorcist and to become one you have to be asked. Not every priest can perform exorcisms, he said, because "you can get yourself hurt really easily."
Hannity’s full interview with Martins on "Hang Out with Sean Hannity" is available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Alex Murdaugh's lawyers withdraw request for civilian clothes, accuse prosecutors of creating a 'spectacle'
Alex Murdaugh’s lawyers say prosecutors are trying to turn his next courtroom appearance into a spectacle.
The convicted former Lowcountry lawyer had asked to appear unshackled and in civilian clothes at trial and in televised pretrial hearings as he awaits a new murder trial in the killings of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul.
But after prosecutors accused him of seeking special treatment, Murdaugh’s defense team withdrew the request, saying they would not waste court time arguing over "the optics" of a status conference.
"If the State wants to use that for a public spectacle, so be it," the defense wrote. "Mr. Murdaugh will not waste the Court’s time at the upcoming status conference arguing about the optics."
South Carolina prosecutors had urged a Colleton County judge to deny the motion, arguing that Murdaugh’s fame does not entitle him to be treated differently from other inmates.
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Murdaugh remains in state custody on financial-crime convictions and is serving a 27-year sentence, prosecutors said. He is also serving a concurrent 40-year federal sentence tied to similar crimes.
His murder convictions were reversed in May by the South Carolina Supreme Court, which ordered new proceedings after finding improper interference by the former Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca "Becky" Hill.
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But the state said the reversal does not change Murdaugh’s status as an inmate or the security concerns surrounding him.
"SCDC’s practice and position here is that any inmate should remain in restraints and in uniform for court appearances," prosecutors wrote, adding that Murdaugh’s long sentence, the seriousness of the murder charges and his notoriety all heighten security concerns.
The state also pointed to past custody issues, alleging that during the original trial, a family member passed Murdaugh a book through a defense staffer without law enforcement’s knowledge.
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Prosecutors said the book was later found in his cell and led to a jail contraband warrant. They also cited two prison disciplinary actions from August 2023, including abuse of privileges and unauthorized use of another inmate’s PIN.
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"This case is ultimately about the fact that Defendant thinks he is special. He is not," prosecutors wrote.
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Murdaugh’s lawyers fired back, accusing prosecutors of "histrionics" and arguing that the state had failed to show any special need to display him in shackles before potential jurors.
They said Murdaugh has never threatened or attempted escape or violence while in custody and has appeared at numerous hearings and through a six-week trial without disruptive behavior.
The defense also argued that courts recognize the danger of showing defendants in restraints, even outside a jury’s physical presence, when cameras could broadcast the image to future jurors.
To make the point, Murdaugh’s lawyers cited the case against Tyler Robinson, the alleged assassin of Charlie Kirk, saying the judge there ordered cameras repositioned after reports Robinson had been shown in shackles and warned they could be excluded if it happened again.
The defense accused prosecutors of relying on rhetoric rather than law, writing that the case is not about whether Murdaugh "thinks" he is special, but whether the state can prove the murder charges against him.
Still, Murdaugh’s lawyers withdrew the motion, saying they did not want to distract from more substantive issues ahead of retrial, including motions involving unknown DNA from the crime scene, access to case materials and a possible venue change.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the prosecutor's office as well as Murdaugh's defense team.