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Man sentenced to prison term for attempted sexual assault

Tim Mutrie

Idus Mark Wright, the Georgia man who received a 28-year prison sentence in December for a Carbondale sexual assault, was sentenced Monday to eight years in prison for a similar crime near Aspen.

In November, Wright, 26, pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree sexual assault, stemming from an Aug. 11 incident on Castle Creek Road in which he tried to sexually assault a female passerby. His sentencing was yesterday in 9th Judicial Court in Pitkin County.

The eight-year term will run concurrently to the 28 years he received in Garfield County, as stipulated in Wright’s plea agreement.



Prior to sentencing, lead prosecutor and Assistant District Attorney Lawson Wills asked that Judge J.E. DeVilbiss sentence Wright in the “aggravated range,” which allows for stiffer sentences.

“This defendant is an extremely dangerous person,” Wills said, “and our recommendation is for a ten-year sentence.”




Wright poses “a great threat to the safety of others,” Wills added.

Public defender James Conway, Wright’s attorney, argued that the circumstances of the case were not aggravating and asked that the sentence fall within the presumptive range of two to eight years.

“He cooperated with the police [investigation] fully,” Conway said. “Mr. Wright knows he has a problem with his sexuality,” and aims to work through those issues with a counselor, he said.

“[Wright] acknowledges that he needs to be confined for some time,” Conway added.

When given an opportunity to address the court, Wright said: “I want to apologize for my actions and note that I was under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time.”

Judge DeVilbiss did not see it that way.

“You claim that the drugs were responsible – I don’t accept that explanation,” he said.

“You acknowledged culpability in both cases,” DeVilbiss noted before handing down the eight-year sentence. “The issue is whether I should find aggravation or not, and I believe that was addressed by Judge Ossola in Garfield County,” he said, referring to the 28-year sentence.

Wright’s Oct. 23 Garfield County conviction stems from an Aug. 4 attack on a Carbondale woman who was riding her bike on the Red Hill Trail, near Carbondale. The incident occurred just seven days before the assault attempt on Castle Creek Road.

On Sept. 30, while in custody at the Garfield County Jail, Wright tried to commit suicide by hanging himself.

According to Wills, it’s typical for sex offenders to serve 75 percent of their sentences before being considered for parole.