KINGMAN – A near 8-year prison term was ordered Thursday in the case of Henderson man who used his modified armored vehicle to block the U.S. 93 Colorado River bridge linking Arizona with Nevada north of Kingman in June, 2018. Mohave County Superior Court Judge Derek Carlisle imposed a 7.75-year prison sentence for Matthew Wright, 32.
Wright is convicted of making a terrorist threat and unlawful flight from law enforcement. Another Judge rejected the same plea agreement, declaring it too lenient while saying Wright deserved a 10–25-year prison sentence.
Defense attorney Michael Denea has said that Wright was protesting the government handling of the concert shooting massacre that claimed 58 lives in Las Vegas and did not intend to harm anyone.
Prosecutor Bob Moon said witnesses who saw Wright pointing a rifle from his big rig were terrified. Moon said Wright had a menacing countenance while possessing four weapons and some 900 rounds of ammunition.
No shots were fired and no one was injured in the June 2018 incident which ended when Wright drove from the bridge and into the desert where his vehicle was immobilized.
Dave Hawkins
