TUPELO, Mississippi — A former Tupelo neurologist was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years in state prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography, the district attorney’s office said.
Ali Ahmad entered the guilty plea March 24 in state court. Senior Circuit Court Judge Paul S. Funderburk sentenced him to 15 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Because of the nature of the offense, Ahmad is not eligible for parole and must serve the sentence day for day, officials said.
Ahmad was also sentenced in federal court earlier this year. On Feb. 11 Chief U.S. District Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced him to 144 months in prison on a charge of distribution of child pornography, along with five years of supervised release and $96,100 in restitution to the victims of the offense. The district attorney’s office said the 15-year state sentence will run concurrently with the federal sentence.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi said Ahmad’s work visa has been revoked and he will be deported after serving his sentence. District Attorney Jason D. Herring said the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Detective Rachel Clock, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security assisted in the investigation. Assistant District Attorney Josh Wise prosecuted the case for the state. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
