Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 8, 1991 TAG: 9103080616
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A3 EDITION: BEDFORD/FRANKLIN
SOURCE: DAVID M. POOLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT LENGTH: Medium
Anthony M. "Stinky" Wright - who was sentenced Monday to 25 years in prison under a plea agreement - said he had changed his mind.
Franklin County Circuit Judge B.A. Davis III reminded Wright that the plea bargain stipulated that he would cooperate with prosecutors.
Wright, claiming he had misunderstood the agreement, said he would not testify against Gerald Gallant, whose jury trial had been scheduled Thursday.
Davis warned Wright that if he did not live up to the agreement, the judge would do everything in his power to block Wright's early release from prison.
"I'm going to do my best to see that you live up to this one," Davis said. "If and when you make parole, it's going to be over my objection."
Wright still faces two felony charges in Franklin County stemming from an August break-in at a Sydnorsville store.
Wright's change of heart left Commonwealth's Attorney Cliff Hapgood with no choice but to ask Davis to drop armed robbery charges against Gallant. Davis gave Hapgood the right to reinstate charges at a later date.
Outside the courtroom, Hapgood said he was unsure if he would continue to prosecute Gallant.
Authorities contend that Wright and another man, William A. Staples of Martinsville, held up the jewelry store and fled in a pickup driven by Gallant.
Gallant has told authorities he was forced at gunpoint to participate in the heist.
Without Wright's testimony, Hapgood would have to rely upon Staples.
Staples was paralyzed below the neck when the getaway truck wrecked while the three men were being chased by a Franklin County deputy sheriff.
Staples is living in a nursing home in the Tidewater area, and Hapgood said it would take special arrangements to bring him back to Franklin County to testify.
Criminal charges against Staples have been dismissed because Hapgood said there was no point to prosecuting a man who received injuries that already have imprisoned his body for life.
Staples may be called as a witness in unrelated drug cases in Martinsville and Henry County.
At the time of the jewelry store robbery, Staples was working for state and local authorities as a confidential informant in an undercover drug investigation.
"He is a crook, a bad person," said Henry County Commonwealth's Attorney Bob Bushnell. "We needed a crooked, bad person to introduce a law enforcement officer into the drug community."
Staples' arrest brought the drug investigation to an immediate stop. Still, authorities had gathered enough evidence to indict more than 100 people.
Bushnell said he did not plan to subpoena Staples for the drug trials, but said some defense attorneys may call him as a witness.
by CNB