Rep. Wright turns himself in following criminal indictment

RALEIGH (AP) — State Rep. Thomas Wright has turned himself in to authorities.

Wright appeared before a Wake County magistrate judge Friday following his indictment earlier this week on five felony charges. He was released on $50,000 unsecured bond.

Wright is charged with fraudulently obtaining a $160,000 loan for a foundation he led in Wilmington, and for converting $194,000 in foundation and campaign funds to his personal use.

Wright is an eight-term lawmaker and former political ally of former state House Speaker Jim Black. Black is serving a five-year prison sentence for political corruption.

A legislative ethics panel investigating Wright is scheduled to hold a public hearing in February to determine whether Wright misused his political office.

Wright looked at a cluster of clicking cameras and reporters and said, “You’d have thought I’d murdered somebody.”