Former Snoqualmie Planning Commissioner Darryl Wright of Snoqualmie pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud for fabricating claims of disability and receiving payment from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Social Security Administration (SSA).

The penalties Wright could face include 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. However, his attorney, Chris Black, said “I don’t believe that the maximum potential penalties will be relevant in determining what the final sentencing will be.”

According to the plea agreement filed Feb. 25 for the case, United States of America v. Darryl Lee Wright, Wright and his sister, Karen Bevens, devised a scheme to defraud the VA and SSA of more than $12,000 by claiming Wright was severely disabled by post-traumatic stress disorder related to his military service and that Bevens was his in-home caretaker. Another 14 counts, ranging from wire fraud and mail fraud to making false statements to the U.S. Army and Department of Commerce were dropped.

In an e-mail message to the Record on Monday, March 7, Wright noted that “the government will be dismissing all of the counts related to my military service, including the dismissal of all counts associated with my combat experience in Iraq.”

Wright also stated “I made several poor decisions that adversely affected my family. I have been a burden to them, but without their continued support and combined VA care, I would be much worse off. The plea agreement represents my accountability for two of the 14 counts filed against me, and reflects the poor decisions I made.”

Findings of fact in the plea agreement Wright signed Feb. 25 state that he claimed he spent two to five days a week in bed in the fetal position, needed a caregiver, was not able to prepare his own food, could not be in crowds or public transportation, and had only a five to 10-second attention span.

According to the plea agreement, witness testimony and documents show that Wright was able to participate as a member of the Snoqualmie Planning Commission, coach basketball, travel to Idaho to visit his daughter, go on vacation, and attend school activities. Witnesses, including Wright’s current and former girlfriends, can confirm that Bevens was not proving daily care, the agreement reported.

The agreement also stated that in September and October of 2009, Wright sent fake “buddy statements” to the VA to confirm his disability claims.

It also states that in June 2012, Wright sent false invoices to the SSA to show he’d been paying Bevens to be his caretaker for six days a week from 2009 to 2012. The invoices were sent to justify the disability payments he was receiving from SSA. Additionally, in September 2012 Wright sent an affidavit to the SSA from Bevens that falsely claimed she was the round-the-clock in-home caretaker.

The agreement also states that Bevens and Wright were accepted to the VA Caregiver Support program in January 2012. Based on their claims, the VA awarded Tier III benefits, the highest level of benefits paid out.

“Bevens accepted and spent the monthly payments, but provided little of the care for which she was being paid,” according to the agreement.

Wright’s sentencing is set for June 6. He is not currently in custody.