Atlantic City, NJ, 1st Degree Murder: Massive Prison Sentence

The Atlantic County, New Jersey, Prosecutor’s Office winning streak continues.

They have been winning when they strike plea deals, and, they have been winning at trials, too.

Latest Example —The Sentencing Of A Man Convicted of 1st Degree Murder In Atlantic City

The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office released the following statement:

Today, (Tuesday, August 19, 2025), the Hon. Jorge Coombs, J.S.C., sentenced Umar Abdullah, 50, of Atlantic City, to an aggregate of seventy years in New Jersey State Prison for murder and weapons offenses following his June trial conviction. Abdullah was found guilty by the jury of 1st degree murder, 2nd degree unlawful possession of a handgun, and 2 nd degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose following a trial in Atlantic County Superior Court. A trial immediately followed where Judge Coombs found the defendant guilty of Ist degree unlawful possession of a weapon by a prior offender and 2nd degree certain persons not to have weapons.

Facts Of The 1st Degree Murder Case

Shortly after 4:00 a.m. on October 10, 2021, the Atlantic City Police Department officers and Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office detectives responded to an Atlantic City casino hotel, located in the Ducktown section of Atlantic City.

Their response was because a man had been shot. Officers and paramedics attempted life-saving efforts to save the life of the victim.

Mark Wright, 35 years old, from Atlantic City, New Jersey was pronounced deceased at the scene, as a direct result of three gun shot wounds.

Umar Abdullah Prison Sentence Is Massive

55 years in State Prison for murder. Abdullah must serve 85% without parole.
An additional 15 years was added, to be served consecutively. One half must be served before parole eligibility. This was for possessing a weapon following a violent crime conviction.
Additional crimes were merged on a concurrent basis.
Abdullah will have to serve more than 54 years before parole eligibility.

Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Also Shared

“The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit led the investigation, in which surveillance footage showed Abdullah exit his apartment on the second-floor of the Casino Hotel with a handgun and fire four shots at the victim before fleeing the scene. Abdullah and Wright each lived in adjacent rooms at the Casino Hotel, 28 South Georgia Avenue. A warrant was issued for Abdullah's arrest; after a five-week search, he was located at a residence in Egg Harbor City and taken into custody,” said the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.

Atlantic County Executive Assistant Prosecutor Rick McKelvey and Assistant Prosecutor Brooke Melissa Hoffner represented the state of New Jersey in this 1st degree murder case.