What to Know
- A notorious New Jersey drug dealer, Luqman Abdullah, was convicted on all 19 charges levied against him on Thursday in Union County
- Abdullah became a fugitive in 2009 and was featured on "America's Most Wanted"
- He turned himself in to the Union County Sheriff's Office in December 2012
An Elizabeth drug kingpin who became one of the nation's most wanted fugitives was found guilty of all 19 criminal charges levied against him on Thursday following a two-month trial, the Union County Prosecutor's Office said.
Luqman Abdullah, of Elizabeth, was convicted by a Union County jury Thursday after four days of deliberation, authorities said. He was convicted of a number of charges including first-degree maintaining a controlled dangerous substance production facility, three second-degree weapons offenses, and third-degree money laundering.
The 34-year-old was the primary target of a five-month joint investigation executed by New Jersey State Police and the FBI in 2009, prosecutors said. Officers discovered nearly seven pounds of cocaine, over 800 folds of heroin, three firearms and various drug paraphernalia.
After he was featured on "America's Most Wanted" in November 2009, he surrendered himself to authorities in December 2012.
Abdullah has an extensive criminal background that includes seven felony convictions for crimes ranging from aggravated assault, to burglary, to other drug and weapons offenses. He was also convicted in an incident where he and others kidnapped, shot, and killed a rival drug dealer.
Abdullah will be sentenced on January 6, 2017. The State of New Jersey intends to file a motion for an extended term that could result in a life sentence in state prison.
