A former Portsmouth prosecutor who pleaded guilty last month to federal drug charges has had his law license revoked by the Virginia State Bar.
A statement issued Tuesday by the bar said Matthew Taylor Morris consented to the revocation. The order went into effect Oct. 4, the statement said.
Morris, 38, pleaded guilty in September in U.S. District Court in Norfolk to two counts: possessing and distributing marijuana, and conspiracy to possess and distribute marijuana. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for January.
According to prosecutors, the crimes happened between March 2021 and May 2022, while Morris was working as an attorney in private practice. He joined the Portsmouth Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office three months after the criminal enterprise ended.
The enterprise involved Morris and three other men selling large quantities of marijuana, which were often stored at Morris’ office on South Independence Boulevard in Virginia Beach. The other three men also have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.