Man Gets Eight Years in Pilgrim’s Pride Thefts

MT. PLEASANT — A Mount Pleasant man was sentenced to eight years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to a string of thefts at Pilgrim�s Pride Corporation. Rickey Alton Wright, 39, was a maintenance worker at the plant when he stole more than $225,000 worth of equipment, according to the Titus County Sheriff�s Office. Sheriff�s officials said Wright was selling the equipment for much less than it was worth. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report that he had been held in the Titus County Jail since December 11 under $500,000 bond.

Detectives recovered about $40,000 of the property at various locations, according to the Mount Pleasant Police Department. Evidence uncovered showed the rest of the stolen Pilgrim�s equipment was linked to Wright selling the items on the Internet for pennies on the dollar compared to what the equipment was worth. Wright remained in the Titus County Jail pending transfer to Morris County, where he faces a charge of revocation of probation before being turned over to the Texas Department of Corrections.