Jessamine County prosecutor indicted on charges related to bribery, theft
A former Jessamine County prosecutor was indicted for allegedly bribing a witness and obtaining money that did not belong to him.
Eric Wright, 45, was indicted last week for abuse of public trust, bribing a witness, official misconduct and theft by deception, according to the attorney general’s office.
In February and March, while serving as a prosecutor in Jessamine County, Wright “unlawfully obtained money” that did not belong to him, Attorney General Russell Coleman’s office said in a news release. Five days later, Wright also attempted to bribe a witness, Coleman’s office aid.
Wright received public money for a “public legal obligation” and “unlawfully dealt with the money as his own,” and failed to make the required payment, according to his indictment.
Additionally, on March 1, Wright bribed a witness that he believed may be called as a witness in attempts to influence their testimony, court documents state.
Wright had worked with the Jessamine County Attorney’s office since 2007, according to his personnel file. In an email sent March 9, Wright was suspended from the office because of an “ongoing investigation.”
Jessamine County Attorney Anna Roberts-Smith confirmed to the Herald-Leader March 17 that Wright was on “indefinite leave” with the office. She declined to comment further.
Roberts-Smith learned of allegations against Wright through a third-party phone call, in which an unidentified caller outlined their interaction with Wright the morning of the Feb. 25 during the district court “traffic docket,” according to documents obtained through the Kentucky Open Records Act. It’s unclear which incident the unidentified caller was part of.
In a meeting with county officials, Wright “continually and emotionally denied any wrongdoing” described in the allegation, according a letter in Wright’s personnel file.
The investigation is ongoing. Wright is not being held in detention and does not have a hearing scheduled as of Tuesday, court records show.
