Beyond Wonderland drug suspect arraigned

EPHRATA — Chriss U. Wright, 31, of Puyallup was arraigned Tuesday in Grant County Superior Court on four charges associated with his arrest at the Beyond Wonderland EDM festival at the Gorge Amphitheatre on June 20. 

During the arraignment, Superior Court Judge Anna Gigliotti reviewed the charges with Wright and accepted initial not-guilty pleas on all four charges. Three of those charges are associated with alleged possession and distribution of controlled substances, including fentanyl, MDMA — also known as ecstasy — and hallucinogenic mushrooms. The fourth charge is unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree.

According to court documents, Wright’s vehicle was searched by Live Nation security guards at a checkpoint for The Gorge Amphitheatre camping facilities. After security staff there found what they believed to be fentanyl pills in a chewing tobacco container, they did a more expansive search of Wright’s vehicle. During the search, a dog indicated suspicion of a backpack that contained a digital scale, pill capsules, jars of suspected psilocybin mushrooms, baggies used for packaging controlled substances and a substance suspected to be ecstasy. Once Live Nation security found those items, they contacted the Grant County Sheriff’s Office and the arrest was subsequently made. 

During an interview with investigators, court documents indicate that Wright admitted to a fentanyl addiction and that he had been convicted of bank robbery in the past. Wright’s record indicates he was convicted in January 2012 for robbery and was sentenced to 31 months in prison. The robbery conviction resulted in his right to possess a firearm being revoked. According to court documents, Wright said the pistol belonged to a friend who had left it in his vehicle.

Evidence obtained was sent to the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab for verification of whether items found during the search were controlled substances, and if so, what they were.

During his interview with investigators, court documents indicate that Wright said the substances found in his vehicle were for his personal use or for sharing with friends. However, investigators indicated in those documents that their experience shows the amount of controlled substances found is indicative of drug trafficking.

Wright’s mother, Ingrid Wright, was present during the search of his truck at the festival venue. 

During the hearing, Wright was found not to be indigent and was not assigned a public defender. However, Gigliotti said he could request one if he was unable to afford legal counsel, but would need to provide appropriate documentation showing he could not afford representation.

Each of the charges Wright faces is a Class B felony and carries a possible maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $20,00 fine. 

Wright is next set to appear in court Aug. 20 for an omnibus hearing, then Sept. 16 for a readiness hearing and trial is set to begin Sept. 19. Those dates may change as the case progresses. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

According to Grant County Jail records, Wright was one of multiple people arrested on drug-related charges during the Beyond Wonderland Festival in June.

Last year, the festival was the scene of a violent incident wherein two women were killed and multiple people injured during a shooting. The suspect in that case, James Kelly, is still in custody and is expected to be back in court Aug. 13 for an omnibus hearing after multiple continuances as his defender and prosecutors ensure the case is ready for court. 

R. Hans Miller may be reached via email at editor@columbiabasinherald.com.