The banker who prosecutors say helped Alex Murdaugh move millions of dollars around to avoid detection of his thefts in exchange for a share of the money has had his conviction and seven-year prison sentence overturned on appeal.

Russell Laffitte had been serving a seven-year sentence after being convicted on six counts of bank fraud. His conviction was thrown out on appeal.

The removal of a juror during jury deliberations at his bank fraud trail violated Hampton County banker Russell Laffitte’s right to an impartial jury, a 4th Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled.

A Fourth Circuit federal appellate tribunal composed of U.S. Circuit Court Judges G. Steven Agee, Stephanie Thacker, and Toby J. Heytens rendered the Nov. 14 order that vacated the conviction from the U.S. District Court of South Carolina, and the sentence imposed by federal Judge Richard Gergel.

A court has overturned the conviction and sentence of a man accused of conspiring with Alex Murdaugh to commit fraud.