Former Spokane deputy prosecutor sentenced for helping felon evade police

Former Spokane County deputy prosecutor Marriya Wright pleaded guilty to second-degree rendering criminal assistance today in front of a visiting judge from Whitman County. Wright was accused of helping convicted felon Matthew Baumrucker evade police in March. He was wanted on a warrant and on suspicion of assault at the time. Investigators discovered thousands of text messages between the two and a photo of Wright in a bikini was found in Baumrucker’s jail cell. The prosecution of Wright’s case was handled by the Attorney General’s Office at the request of the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office. Wright was sentenced to 364 days in jail with 364 days suspended and ordered to pay a $1,500 fine, with half of the amount suspended. She was also sentenced to 60 hours of community service and a year of monitored probation, according to the Attorney General’s Office. Wright, who has already resigned her position with the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office, also agreed not to work in criminal prosecution in the future.