Man charged with drug possession a week before his trial on drug trafficking charge is set to begin
Published at
POCATELLO — A Bannock County man set to appear in court on drug charges next week was recently arrested and now faces a new charge for drug possession.
Matthew James Wright, 52, also has a criminal history in eastern Idaho that led to a police manhunt several years ago.
Wright was charged Thursday with possession of a controlled substance, a felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor. Court records also show that in January, he was charged with controlled substance delivery, a felony.
A jury trial on the delivery charge is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Aug. 18.
Early Thursday, officers from the Pocatello Police Department were dispatched to a location — an address not provided in court documents — in response to a report of a fight between Wright and another individual, according to a police booking affidavit.
Before officers arrived, they were notified that Wright had left the location, but the affidavit says they found him near the intersection of Driftwood Street and Teakwood Street and took him into custody.
While interviewing Wright and searching him, police say they found a digital scale in his backpack with a powdery residue on its surface. The residue was tested and showed positive for methamphetamine, the affidavit states.
This is not the first time Wright has been in trouble with the law. In December of 2020, Wright became the subject of a manhunt following alleged federal probation violations in connection with four felony convictions for possession of firearms. Wright was located in Pocatello within a day and taken into custody.
RELATED | Manhunt: US Marshals looking for dangerous fugitive in eastern Idaho
RELATED | Update: Dangerous fugitive in eastern Idaho back in custody
Wright is scheduled to appear in court for the new drug possession charge on Aug. 26. If found guilty, he could face up to eight years in prison and be fined up to $16,000. That’s in addition to any possible consequences related to his controlled substance delivery charge.
Wright is being represented by a public defender. The Idaho State Public Defender’s office does not comment on pending cases.
Although Wright has been accused of crimes, that does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.