Former Jessamine County Prosecuter pleads guilty

FRANKFORT – Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman announced on Friday the conviction of a former Assistant Jessamine County Attorney for abusing his position of trust for personal profit.

Eric Wright, 46, pleaded guilty on Thursday to one count of Abuse of Public Trust (a Class D Felony which carries a one-to-five-year prison term) and one count of Official Misconduct, First Degree (Class A Misdemeanor, which has a potential one year in jail).

He had also been indicted on charges of Bribing a Witness (a Class D felony) and Theft by Deception (a Class A misdemeanor), but those two were dropped As part of the plea agreement.

Wright admitted that he took money from a person who came to Jessamine District Court to pay for a traffic ticket. He offered to dismiss the traffic ticket in exchange for a payment of $300 in cash. At the time of the incident, Wright was an Assistant County Attorney for Jessamine County. He later admitted to pocketing the money.

Based on Wright’s guilty plea, the Commonwealth has recommended that Wright serve a two-year sentence, and his Kentucky law license will be suspended immediately.

“Prosecutors are entrusted with immense authority to uphold our laws. A violation of that trust will not be tolerated in our Commonwealth,” Coleman said.

The Nicholasville Police Department investigated the case. Deputy Attorney General Rob Duncan and Criminal Chief Rewa Zakharia prosecuted the case on behalf of the Commonwealth.

Sentencing has been scheduled for 9 a.m., January 21, 2027 at Jessamine Circuit Court.