Raleigh, NORTH CAROLINA

April 8, 2008 - Eight-term North Carolina Rep. Thomas Wright, was sentenced to three consecutive sentences that will send him to prison for at least five years and 10 months. He could be there as long as seven years and 11 months. in prison. He was convicted of three felony charges.

Wright was the first N.C. House of Representatives legislator to be kicked out of of that body since 1880. On March 20, the House voted 109-5 in favor of booting the Wilmington Democrat, who is accused of mishandling or hiding about $340,000 in loans and campaign and charitable contributions. He was escorted from the chamber by House sergeant at arms.

[Rep. Rick Glazier, D-Cumberland, chairman of the ethics committee] said Wright filed 22 incorrect campaign reports since 2000 and failed to fix any of them.

"Forty percent of the dollars Representative Wright received for seven years was not reported," Glazier said. "In the end, there is nary a substantive (campaign reporting law) in the statutes that was not violated repeatedly by Representative Wright."

Jurors convicted him of fraudulently taking out a $150,000 loan and taking $7,400 of charitable contributions destined for a Wilmington health-care foundation. He urged a state health official to write a letter in 2002 about a nonexistent state grant that Wright used to get the $150,000 loan.