PORTSMOUTH
A former police lieutenant who was convicted of drug conspiracy will serve a year and a half less time than originally imposed.
In a Jan. 24 letter to the commonwealth's attorney and the defense attorney for Brian Keith Muhammad Abdul-Ali, a circuit judge wrote that the active sentence would now be three years.
In August, Circuit Court Judge Johnny E. Morrison sentenced Abdul-Ali, 49, to four and a half years active time. He suspended another five and a half years and imposed a $2,000 fine. Morrison wrote the attorneys that the "other terms and conditions as imposed upon defendant Ali at the original sentencing proceeding shall remain in full force."
Prosecutors said Abdul-Ali, former head of the SWAT team, tipped his nephew to drug raids and gave others information about drug investigations. In December, Morrison delayed deciding on a defense motion to reduce the sentence.
Commonwealth's Attorney Earle Mobley said he received the letter Monday.
"I didn't think there was anything new that I heard from the motion to reconsider that would justify a further reduction in his sentence," he said. "But that's certainly within the judge's discretion and I respect that.
"I'm sure this was difficult for Judge Morrison based on the fact that Brian Ali was a long-standing police officer who certainly had done a number of good things in his career. But that was overshadowed by his actions in this case."
The nephew, Gregory Mondell Elliott Sr., pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute. He was sentenced to 10-1/2 years. Prosecutors said the conspiracy helped bring more than $5 million of crack cocaine into the community.
Janie Bryant, (757) 446-2453, janie.bryant@pilotonline.com
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What????
You have got to be kidding me. Talk about sneaking around and blind siding the public on this one. Portsmouth is the only U.S. City in this country where you can break the law and get away with it due to the liberal judges who continually let criminals run the streets. It's about time that the feds look at this City and start to take necessary measures.Portsmouth can be a nice place but the judges wont allow that to happen.
New member of the club
Good job by Michael Massie, Abdul Ali's lawyer.He is now a miracle lawyer, along with Ken Melvin and Sterling Weaver!!!It's not what you did or what they are able to prove, it's who you know.
Sentence reduction
I think it's dispicable that the Judge reduced his sentence!! I know of quite a few people who are locked up for wayyyyy less serious crimes and received a harsher sentence than he did...AND were denied sentence reductions. Once again in Tidewater...it's not what you did but who you know or who you are. Shame on the court!!
Lesson learned here?
Of course. Perform all criminal activity in Portsmouth. Just? Of course NOT. Since this is how it works in P-town, gimme a Portsmouth judge anytime.
Time?
Once again, the city of Portsmouth has failed the community. Ali put officers at risk every time they served an arrest warrant,not to mention his own family. Nothing like having a daddy who is a dope dealer AND a police officer. Has anyone ever checked his barber shop? How many deals went on there? The Feds should take this case back and put him in a REAL jail where he'll serve every day. Has anyone checked Judge Morrison's record? Just say that you found God, again, and that jail is "hard" and he'll reduce your sentence. When is Portsmouth going to clean up the city and put criminals where they belong? Ali was in a position of trust in the department and in the community. What a great role model for Portsmouth kids. To make it worse, the department allowed him to retire and the city is allowing him to receive his pension-great-he's getting compensation for committing criminal acts while on duty, using a city cell phone and a city vehicle.
justice?
This is a prime example of the corruption that exists when there are no checks and balances in the justice system... Citizens the only way to hold this "judge" accountable for his actions if to vote out those that appointed him... that would be Ken Melvin.
This is not new. This judge makes this a regular habit. He issues a strong sentence and then a few months later he and his fellow lawyer cronies get together and reduce it to the sentence they wanted all along.
I propose we move to elected judges, not appointed. That way they can be held accountable for the irresponsible sentences they hand out.
Ali was a crooked cop. He was caught this time but how many times was he not caught? How many other criminal acts did he commit that we will never know about? All this talk of the "good" he did.... just be fortunate no one got hurt along the way. There but for the grace of god went our SWAT and Narcotics officers. Had things not worked out... we too could have been attending the funeral of a narcotics or SWAT detective just as chesapeake has recently. It does not matter what good he did... he will forever be a drug dealing, lying, crooked CRIMINAL, who happened to be a police
justice?
This is a prime example of the corruption that exists when there are no checks and balances in the justice system... Citizens the only way to hold this "judge" accountable for his actions if to vote out those that appointed him... that would be Ken Melvin.
This is not new. This judge makes this a regular habit. He issues a strong sentence and then a few months later he and his fellow lawyer cronies get together and reduce it to the sentence they wanted all along.
I propose we move to elected judges, not appointed. That way they can be held accountable for the irresponsible sentences they hand out.
Ali was a crooked cop. He was caught this time but how many times was he not caught? How many other criminal acts did he commit that we will never know about? All this talk of the "good" he did.... just be fortunate no one got hurt along the way. There but for the grace of god went our SWAT and Narcotics officers. Had things not worked out... we too could have been attending the funeral of a narcotics or SWAT detective just as chesapeake has recently.
It does not matter what good he did... he will forever be a drug dealing, lying, crooked CRIMINAL, who happened to be a police
I can't help but wonder....
....what prompted Judge Morrison to reduce the sentence? I guess maybe he doesn't have to give a reason but I think he owes it to the citizens of Portsmouth to "man up" and explain himself. The fact of the matter is that B.K. Abdul Ali broke the law and was given jail time and like every other common criminal he deserves to spend it behind bars. Judge Morrison has set a dangerous precedent. I can see all the other incarcerated thugs and criminals contacting their lawyers now to get a hearing in front of Judge Morrison to try and get their sentences reduced. What will he do then? I'd love to see the feds pick this case back up and prosecute Ali under the Federal system. At least there he would get REAL jail time and have to serve everyday of it. I guess the revolving door system of (in)justice still spins in Portsmouth and with Judge Morrison helping it out it'll keep spinning for a long time. Shame on you Johnny Morrison- you have let the citizens of Portsmouth -and those sworn to protect them- down in a serious way.
Year and Half off
This case/investigation makes no sense. I don't know why the judge reduced the "active" time served. It seems strange that his nephew is serving 10 years Fed time and old Uncle PooH gets 1/2 of the time. Lt. Ali is a disgrace to the entire City of Portsmouth, Police Department and human race. I wonder how many citizens and police officers lives were put at risk because of Mr. Ali's, convicted felon, selfish acts for his own personal power of wealth.