A 33-year-old Phelps man admitted in U.S. District Court to producing child pornography and conspiracy to possessing and distributed over 50 grams of methamphetamine, prosecutors say.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa M. Marangola and Katelyn M. Hartford say Snapchat reported a cyber tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children involving a subscriber who uploaded two files of suspect child pornography.
An investigation determined that the user was Timothy Wright, 33, of Phelps.
On May 18, 2020 state police executed a search warrant at his residence and seized multiple electronic devices, including a cell phone, laptop, and hard drive.
A forensic analysis of the devices uncovered over 8,462 images and video files of child pornography.
On July 29, 2020, Wright provided methamphetamine to his wife and co-defendant Alicia Wright who then sold the methamphetamine to an undercover police officer. After the controlled purchase was complete, the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at the Wrights’ residence on Bear Street in Phelps.
That’s where investigators recovered $10,000 in currency and 64 grams of methamphetamine.
Alicia Wright was charged and convicted.
For Timothy Wright, the production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years while conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life. Wright will be sentenced in April.
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