Atlantic City Man Sentenced 70 Years Murder, Weapons Offenses

Umar Abdullah, a 50-year-old Atlantic City man, was sentenced to 70 years in New Jersey State Prison for the 2021 fatal shooting of his neighbor Mark Wright at the Cassino Hotel in the Ducktown neighborhood. Abdullah was convicted of first-degree murder, multiple weapons charges, and unlawful possession of a weapon by a prior offender following a trial in Atlantic County Superior Court. Surveillance footage showed Abdullah leaving his second-floor apartment and firing four shots at Wright, who was struck three times and pronounced dead at the scene. Abdullah must serve 85% of 55 years for murder without parole and an additional 15 years for weapons offenses, making him eligible for parole only after serving more than 54 years. He was apprehended after a five-week manhunt in Egg Harbor City and taken into custody with the assistance of multiple law enforcement agencies. The case was thoroughly investigated by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Atlantic City Police Department.