GEORGETOWN, Texas – A Williamson County judge whose home was raided by federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has been indicted on nine charges, sources say.
The nine-count indictment in U.S. District Court alleges Williamson County court-at-law judge Tim Wright illegally sold guns to people with criminal records and made false statements to investigators throughout the course of the investigation.
Wright's home was searched on March 27, but an ATF spokesperson could not provide details on what the agents seized, just that the investigation had to do with the "enforcement of federal firearms regulations." The indictment reveals that 51 firearms were seized from Wright's home.
Wright, 70, is charged with three counts of selling firearms to a prohibited person, one count of aiding and abetting and facilitating the smuggling and attempted smuggling of firearms, one count of facilitating the smuggling and attempted smuggling of firearms, two counts of giving a false statement during purchase of a firearm and two counts of making false statements to government agents.
The indictment states on Feb. 5, Feb. 19 and Feb. 24, Wright knowingly sold firearms to a convicted criminal. It also states between June and October 2014, Wright aided in exporting multiple firearms out of the United States and attempted to once again export firearms between Dec. 4, 2014 and March 27, 2015. The guns were intended to be exported to Mexico, according to an ATF special agent.
The indictment states on July 14, 2014, Wright purchased six guns on behalf of someone else but made a false statement to the dealer, Guns Plus, implying that the guns were for him. On Dec. 19, 2014, the indictment alleges Wright again falsified a written statement to Just Glocks in Copperas Cove, claiming that he was purchasing two guns for himself when he was actually purchasing them on someone else's behalf.
According to the indictment, on March 27, the day federal agents raided his home, Wright made false statements to investigators, claiming he had not sold any firearms between the time ATF agents visited him on Sept. 23, 2014 and January 2015 when he began selling as a licensed firearms dealer.
Officials said he falsified paperwork claiming a sale which happened in December actually happened in August. He also lied about selling firearms to a convicted felon, the indictment states.
Read the full indictment, go here.
