In a shocking development for the legal community, Matthew Taylor Morris, a 38-year-old attorney from Virginia Beach, pled guilty to his involvement in a major marijuana trafficking conspiracy. The case, which has drawn widespread attention, revealed Morris’s law office on South Independence Boulevard as a storage site for around 1,000 pounds of marijuana, with a street value estimated between $800,000 and $1.6 million.
Morris’s connection to the Rogers Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) began in early 2021 when he introduced Donald Thomas Rogers, a licensed firearms dealer from Portsmouth, to one of his clients who could supply THC products. However, the relationship quickly escalated, with Morris allegedly becoming directly involved in the distribution of marijuana and other THC products across Virginia.
According to court documents, Rogers was the owner of VA Premier Pawn and a Federal Firearm Licensee (FFL). Under the guise of his legitimate business, Rogers was allegedly trafficking wholesale amounts of THC products from outside the state and supplying his co-conspirators, including Morris, for retail distribution. At one point, Rogers used Morris’s law office to store large quantities of the illegal drugs in exchange for paying the office’s rent.
Morris not only referred customers to Rogers for the purchase of THC products, but he also offered Rogers a key to his law firm, allowing Rogers free access to the building for storage. Additionally, Rogers provided Morris with a monthly supply of THC products for resale.
The investigation reached a tipping point when law enforcement observed a series of transactions and storage activities involving the Rogers DTO. In October 2022, a large stash of marijuana and THC products was discovered at a storage unit connected to the organization. Over 193 pounds of marijuana, along with THC vape pens, edibles, wax, and syrup, were seized.
Further searches of the residences and businesses involved revealed firearms, large amounts of cash, and more THC products, deepening the scope of the investigation. Morris, along with other members of the organization, now faces significant prison time.
Morris pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and possession with intent to distribute. He is scheduled for sentencing on January 22, 2025, and could face up to 10 years in prison. His co-conspirators, including Rogers and Capehart, are expected to plead guilty in the coming weeks, while others have already admitted their roles in the scheme.
Federal judges will determine final sentences based on various factors, but this case has already shaken the local community and left many wondering how a respected attorney became deeply involved in such a large-scale criminal enterprise.