Edinton Grugbay Wright, Gun Trafficking, Iowa 2019
Marion, Iowa - A former Iowa Army National Guard member has been sent to federal prison after he bought multiple guns with fraudulent checks.
Edinton Grugbay Wright, 23, of Marion, Iowa, originally from Monrovia, Liberia, received a 33-month prison term on October 28, 2019, after a guilty plea to one count of possessing a firearm as a drug user.
Evidence showed that Wright lied to the Linn County Sheriff in 2017 about his drug use to obtain a permit to carry, and then used the permit to purchase seven firearms from Linn County businesses. He also used phony checks to fund the purchases.
On October 21, 2018, Wright was involved in a domestic dispute with his girlfriend in Cedar Rapids. During the arrest, law enforcement officers found a gun and a small amount of marijuana on his person. All but one of the seven guns were recovered, which Wright often pawned shortly after purchasing them.
Wright was arrested in March 2019 after a grand jury indicted him. At the time of his arrest, he was driving a rental car and attempting to pass another fraudulent check at a local financial institution. Unbeknownst to officers, Wright had a gun under the seat of his rental car. Wright asked his girlfriend to retrieve the gun before the rental car company found it.
Wright was ordered to make $900 in restitution and must serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. He is currently being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and investigated by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.
Defendant/Respondent: Edinton Grugbay Wright
Criminal Charges: Possessing a firearm as a drug user
City and State: Marion, Iowa
Exact Date: October 28, 2019
Sentence: 33 months in federal prison
Dollar Amount: $900 in restitution
Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Category: Weapons
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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