Convicted murderer and lawyer Alex Murdaugh was sentenced to 27 years behind bars Tuesday for stealing from clients.

The heavy sentence is the highest South Carolina has ever handed down for a white-collar crime.

State prosecutor Creighton Waters called it "unique and unprecedented" and a virtual "life sentence."

Murdaugh sentenced AGAIN

Murdaugh had pled guilty to 22 counts this month for stealing from clients and his law firm.

The prosecution accused him of betraying the confidence of his clients, which included the bereaved family of his former housekeeper Gloria Satterfield, who died in a fall at the Murdaugh home.

"You lied, you cheated, you stole, you betrayed me and my family and everybody else, and you did that at the cost of my mom's death," Satterfield's son, Tony Satterfield, said.

Under the plea deal, Murdaugh must serve at least 85% of the sentence before probation. Murdaugh also agreed to waive his right to appeal.

In tears, Murdaugh apologized to the victims in court, saying he let them down.

"I hope that a time will come when you can look back and know that despite the things that I did, that I care about each one of you," Murdaugh told the court. "I'm still today haunted by that fact that I deceived each of you terribly."

Judge sounds off

The judge who handed down the sentence, Clifton Newman, is the same judge who oversaw Murdaugh's high-profile murder trial.

"It's so disappointing to see you again in this setting," Newman said, adding he takes "no joy at all in imposing this sentence."

Murdaugh had sought unsuccessfully to have Newman removed from the financial fraud case, alleging the judge was biased. The judge agreed to step aside from Murdaugh's appeal in the murder case.

In March, Murdaugh, part of an influential family of South Carolina lawyers, was sentenced to two life sentences without parole for the murder of his wife and son at the family's hunting lodge.

Although there was little direct evidence of Murdaugh's guilt, he damaged his credibility when he admitted that he lied about his alibi on the witness stand.

Murdaugh maintains his innocence of the murders and is seeking a new trial on the basis that the court clerk tampered with the jury.