He permitted co-conspirators to store the substance in his law office
Matthew Taylor Morris, a 38-year-old lawyer from Virginia Beach, has been temporarily suspended from practising law after pleading guilty to his involvement in a marijuana distribution conspiracy, ABA Journal reported.
According to a show-cause order, Morris’ suspension went into effect on October 1, and he has been ordered to provide reasons why his law license should not be permanently suspended or revoked.
The suspension follows Morris’ guilty plea to charges of conspiracy to possess and distribute marijuana. Prosecutors revealed that Morris allowed co-conspirators to store approximately 1,000 pounds of marijuana and cash proceeds in his law office, the Top Tier Law Group, located in Virginia Beach. The marijuana was valued between US$800,000 and US$1.6 million. It was kept at Morris' office as part of a larger illegal operation.
In addition to the storage of marijuana, Morris permitted a co-conspirator to keep large sums of cash from the drug sales at his office. Evidence presented in the case included a photo taken at Morris' office, showing a co-conspirator posing with over US$100,000 in cash, with Morris' diplomas and legal certifications visible on the wall behind him.
As part of the conspiracy, Morris was compensated with rent discounts and received 70 pounds of THC products over several months, which he sold to his own customers. He also accepted a handgun from one of his co-conspirators, despite the fact that he unlawfully used controlled substances, including Adderall, cocaine, opiates, and THC.
Morris, a former prosecutor in Portsmouth, Virginia, resigned from the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office on September 6, just four days before his indictment. He had been with the prosecution office for three months following the conclusion of the drug conspiracy in May 2022.
Morris’ sentencing is set for January 22, 2025, following his guilty plea to conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
