Former Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison, nine months after pleading guilty to charges of misusing public funds.
U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Cain gave the maximum sentence on Tuesday at the Greenville County Courthouse, nearly a year after Wright's guilty pleas to wire fraud, drug, and conspiracy charges.
U.S. Attorney for South Carolina Bryan Stirling said Wright took money from a county benevolence fund meant to help deputies and their families to buy pain pills.
"[He] took money that didn't belong to him," Stirling said. "He took prescription drugs that weren't intended for him [and] spent taxpayer money on his private lifestyle."
Two weeks before Wright's sentencing, his attorneys had requested a lighter sentence, citing addiction issues and PTSD. However, federal prosecutors pushed back, arguing the former sheriff abused the public trust.
"Public servants must be held accountable," Stirling said. "As a member of law enforcement, I do think there's a higher burden. I think you should be held to a higher standard, and I think that's exactly what the judge did today."
In addition to the prison time, the agreed-upon sentencing guidelines call for more than $460,000 in restitution. However, Spartanburg County is seeking $1.3 million in total damages. The District Attorney’s Office noted that Wright has already repaid nearly $30,000.
Wright was allowed to leave the courthouse Tuesday and must self-report to prison within 45 days. He will be eligible for release after serving 85 percent of his sentence.
Officials have not released information to where Wright will serve his sentence.
Wright’s co-defendants, former employee Lawson Watson and former chaplain Amos Durham, are expected to be sentenced on Thursday. They pleaded guilty in a public corruption scheme that the Department of Justice says allowed Wright to misuse his position.
