Wright to be sentenced today, Recio tomorrow
It has been four months since Mayor Frank Melton died, but his legal entanglements and unorthodox way of handling public safety issues still ripple through the capital city.
Marcus Wright and Michael Recio, the late mayor’s ever-present police bodyguards, are scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in consecutive days this week.
Wright agreed to plead guilty in October to misdemeanor conspiracy, avoiding felony charges as part of a deal to help federal prosectors build their case against his boss. He will be sentenced today on that charge, and federal prosecutors have asked federal Magistrate Judge Linda Anderson for a lighter sentence than the sentencing guidelines recommend as a reward for his cooperation.
Recio will be sentenced Thursday on a misdemeanor aiding and abetting of a civil rights violation, a deal he made following Melton’s May 7 death.
Both men face up to a year in prison, fines or both. In addition, Recio has agreed to give up his badge for one year while Wright has agreed not to return to law enforcement.
Clarion-Ledger
9/9/9
