STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
19D PROSECUTORIAL DISTRICT
MOORE COUNTY
MAUREEN KRUEGER DISTRICT ATTORNEY 910 -722-5010
February 24, 2016
PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GUILTY PLEAS ENTERED IN MULTIPLE SOUTHERN PINES VEHICLE BREAK INS AND UNDERCOVER NARCOTICS INVESTIGATION
On February 23, 2016 Thomas Anthony Wright, 33 years of age from Southern Pines, pled guilty to 35 counts of Break or Entering a Motor Vehicle, Resisting a Public Officer, Selling Marijuana and to being an Habitual Felon in the Superior Court of Moore County. The charges were the result of multiple investigations by the Southern Pines Police Department and the Moore County Sheriff’s Office.
The vehicle break-ins took place in Southern Pines on multiple dates primarily occurring between the time period of September, 2014 through January 23, 2015. On January 23, 2015, Southern Pines Police Officers from the Patrol and Investigation Divisions were conducting an investigation into vehicles that have been broken into with purses or medication being stolen. Officers observed Thomas Anthony Wright hiding in several bushes located in the 200 block of SW Broad Street. Thomas Anthony Wright fled on foot when officers approached him. Following a foot pursuit, where Thomas Anthony Wright discarded a BB gun, he was placed into custody. Stolen property from a recent vehicle breaking and entering incident was recovered. The investigation into prior cases showed that a BB gun had been used to break the windows of the vehicles. Thomas Anthony Wright also had outstanding warrants for his arrest related to a 2014 robbery of a firearm, a 2014 narcotics investigation and an outstanding warrant for a probation violation.
Thomas Anthony Wright was also convicted for two vehicle break-ins that took place on November 24, 2013 following an investigation whereby biological evidence was collected from the vehicle at the time of the break in and a recent analysis from the NC State Crime Lab indicated that the sample collected from the crime scene was from Thomas Anthony Wright.
The sale of marijuana took part on April 11, 2014 as part of an undercover narcotics operation that was conducted by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office. Thomas Anthony Wright sold marijuana to an undercover informant who was utilizing video and audio surveillance during the transaction.
The State prosecuted Thomas Anthony Wright as an Habitual Felon based on his having at least three prior felony convictions which had the effect of enhancing the sentence on each of the charges.
Superior Court Judge James G. Bell sentenced Thomas Anthony Wright to an active prison sentence of 96-140 months in the NC Department of Adult Correction. The State was represented by Assistant District Attorney Warren McSweeney and the District Attorney’s Office would like to thank all the officers from the Southern Pines Police Department and the Moore County Sheriff’s Office for their continuous involvement in the cases and the manner in which the investigations were coordinated and conducted.
