Opinion ID: 205356
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Events Leading Up to the Arrest and Indictment

Text: Wright was a deputy sheriff with the EBRSO during the time leading up to his arrest. Wright worked as a corrections officer in the Corrections Division, guarding the prisoners in custody at the parish prison and maintaining control of the prison. Wright's duties did not involve narcotics investigations outside the parish prison. Through a childhood friend, Wright came into contact with Chris Cordasco, a man who was arrested in 2005 on a firearms charge by local authorities and subsequently became an informant for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in June 2006. Around June 14, 2006, Wright offered to help Cordasco get the firearms charge dropped in exchange for $5,000. Cordasco contacted his ATF agent regarding Wright's offer, after which ATF began its investigation of Wright. Wright and Cordasco eventually negotiated a deal where Cordasco would pay Wright $2,500 and one quarter kilogram of cocaine in exchange for Wright getting the charges dropped. During this time, Wright spoke multiple times with EBRSO Sergeant Eric Jones, who worked as a detective in the Narcotics Division. Wright told Jones that he had been offered cash and cocaine to get a state charge dropped, and Jones told Wright to leave the situation alone and not to do anything until he could get more information. Wright met Cordasco at a public parking lot on June 21 just after 5:15 p.m. to make the deal. ATF agents had installed surveillance equipment in Cordasco's car and on Cordasco's person. Wright was arrested just before he retrieved synthetic cocaine from the trunk of Cordasco's car, and officers recovered on Wright's person his loaded service weapon and $2,500 given to him by Cordasco.