A Portsmouth prosecutor who’s repeatedly been disciplined by the Virginia State Bar and judges in the region for legal missteps is facing federal criminal charges accusing him of possessing and distributing large amounts of marijuana.
A two-count criminal information was filed Sept. 10 in U.S. District Court in Norfolk against Matthew Taylor Morris, court records show. The records also indicate the 38-year-old attorney plans to enter a guilty plea in the case on Sept. 24.
Morris resigned from his job as an assistant commonwealth’s attorney Sept. 6, four days before the charges were filed, according to a spokeswoman for the office. He was hired in August 2022, the spokeswoman said. She declined to comment further.
Morris’ attorney James Broccoletti confirmed that Morris plans to plead guilty later this month, but also declined to comment further.
Morris is accused of working with at least three others to possess and distribute large amounts of marijuana, according to the complaint. The crimes are alleged to have occurred between March 2021 and May 2022, which was before Morris began his job with the prosecutor’s office.