Ali Ahmad, a former neurologist in Tupelo, Mississippi, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography, according to court records. Senior Circuit Court Judge Paul S. Funderburk handed down the sentence on March 24, 2026, and Ahmad will serve the sentence without the possibility of parole.
Ahmad previously pleaded guilty to federal charges of distributing child pornography in the Northern District of Mississippi. On Feb. 11, 2026, Chief Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced him to 144 months in federal prison, five years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $96,100 in restitution to victims. The state sentence will run concurrently with the federal sentence, court records show.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi said Ahmad’s work visa was revoked, and he will be deported after completing his prison terms. The investigation was supported by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Detective Rachel Clock, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office, and the Department of Homeland Security.
Assistant District Attorney Josh Wise prosecuted the case on behalf of the state. Jason D. Herring, district attorney for the First Circuit Court District, confirmed the details.
