COLLETON, S.C. (WCBD) – Alex Murdaugh — the Hampton County lawyer who fell from grace after a series of lawsuits revealed an apparent drug-fueled pattern of stealing money from friends, family, and businesses — pled the fifth in charges connected to his alleged siphoning of money from his former law firm.

Charges were brought against Murdaugh by his former law firm, Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth, and Detrick (PMPED) after the firm found evidence that Murdaugh had been funneling company money into a shell account.

Documents filed in a Colleton County court on Friday showed that Murdaugh admitted to allegations contained in paragraphs one through three of the complaint, then pled the fifth in the remaining 33.

The three allegations to which Murdaugh admitted were those establishing facts: that PMPED is an existing law firm in Hampton, Colleton, and Jasper Counties, that Murdaugh was a resident of Colleton County, and that Murdaugh was a shareholder in the law firm prior to his September 3 resignation.

The allegations to which Murdaugh pled the fifth were those accusing him of setting up a shell account under the name ‘Forge’, disguised to look like a legitimate company with which PMPED occasionally worked, and diverting PMPED funds into that personal account.

According to the complaint, Murdaugh admitted to stealing the funds when his partners confronted him in early September.

Murdaugh’s law license was temporarily suspended and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) was brought in to investigate.

PMPED hired a forensic accounting firm to investigate Mrudaugh’s financials during his time at the firm, and reimbursed all clients known to have been impacted.

Editor’s note: This story is breaking and will be updated.