A Virginia lawyer has found himself in hot water after pleading guilty to being part of a conspiracy to distribute a large quantity of marijuana.
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Matthew Taylor Morris, 38, from Virginia Beach, got a temporary suspension effective October 1 and has been ordered to explain why his law license shouldn’t be further suspended or revoked, according to a show-cause order issued on September 27.
The Legal Profession Blog highlighted both the temporary suspension and a press release from September 24 about Morris’ guilty plea.
Prosecutors said that Morris let other people involved in the conspiracy stash 1,000 pounds of marijuana and cash at his law firm, the Top Tier Law Group. That stash had a street value estimated between $800,000 and $1.6 million, according to a statement of facts signed by Morris and included in the show-cause order.
But it didn’t stop there. Morris also allowed a co-conspirator to store cash from marijuana sales in his law office. One shocking photo from the office showed a co-conspirator posing with over $100,000 in cash, right in front of Morris’ diplomas and legal credentials hanging on the wall.
As for what Morris got out of this arrangement, he received part of his monthly rent from a co-conspirator for several months starting in late 2021. On top of that, he got 70 pounds of THC products—about 15 pounds a month—that he could sell to his clients.
Morris even allegedly received a handgun from a co-conspirator, despite being accused of using Adderall, cocaine, opiates, and THC himself, according to prosecutors.
Before this scandal, Morris was a former prosecutor in Portsmouth, Virginia. He resigned from the commonwealth attorney’s office on September 6, just four days before the indictment, as reported by WVEC.
Interestingly, Morris joined the prosecutor's office just three months after the drug conspiracy reportedly wrapped up in May 2022, according to the Virginian-Pilot.
He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Sentencing for Morris is set for January 22, 2025.
He’s being represented by lawyer James O. Broccoletti in this criminal case, but so far, he hasn’t responded to an email from the ABA Journal seeking comment.
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