The Judge Who Presided Over Ali Abulaban's Trial Said He Will Die in Prison

In October 2021, TikTok star Ali Abulaban broke into the home he previously shared with his estranged wife and proceeded to shoot her and the man she was seeing. Ana Abulaban, 28, and Rayburn Cardenas Barron, 29, were sitting together on her couch when Abulaban shot Barron three times in the neck, cheek, and back of the head. He then turned and shot Ana once, killing them both. He was later convicted.

Abulaban rose to fame on the popular social media app through his Scarface impression, which is something San Diego Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Fraser referenced while sentencing Abulaban in September 2024. Judge Fraser told the social media influencer that he watched his videos and complimented his acting abilities, which were on full display during the trial. For that reason, and many others, Ali Abulaban's sentence was not lenient.

Judge Fraser began by letting the court know that he respected the verdict reached by the jury who oversaw Abulaban's case. And while he would sometimes lower a charge, he had no plans to do that this time. The jury heard in excruciating detail what Abulaban did, and were right to land on a first-degree murder verdict. "It's the only verdict a reasonable person could come up with," said Judge Fraser. This was "willful, deliberate, premeditated, cold-blooded murder."

While the judge rattled off the numerous reasons why these murders were clearly not committed in the heat of passion, Abulaban scowled and shook his head. This is a man who is seemingly unable to feel anything but selfish concern for his own future. Judge Fraser did concede that Abulaban had no criminal record and was suffering from a debilitating mental illness, but he did not believe Abulaban's troubled childhood had anything to do with these crimes.

Judge Fraser said he had to determine if Abulaban's life without parole sentences would be served consecutively or concurrently. "That will determine whether or not he dies in prison or out of prison," said the judge. "He is a very talented actor. When I saw the Scarface videos, it's as if when he committed these crimes he became the persona of Scarface." According to the judge, Abulaban's tears were not for Anna or her Barron, but only for himself and what was to come.

"The bottom line is, he will die in prison," explained Judge Fraser as the courtroom erupted in cheers. Abulaban turned and mockingly clapped back while staring angrily at the people whose lives were destroyed by his actions. The judge sentenced Abulaban to 50 years to life without the possibility of parole.