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Teacher in identity theft case sentenced to 48 hours in jail, two years probation

Wright pleaded guilty to identity theft charges and stealing thousands of dollars from friends and family.

KNOX COUNTY — Ashley Wright, a Knox County Schools teacher who pleaded guilty to identity theft charges and stealing thousands of dollars from friends, family, and other Knox County Schools teachers, was sentenced Thursday to 48 hours in jail and two years of supervised probation.

Wright will report to jail on Aug. 3, which is a weekend her husband, who she is in the process of getting a divorce from, will have their two kids.

A line of six victims, including Wright's mother-in-law, two neighbors, and three Knox County Schools teachers, read their impact statements to the court, detailing the ways they said Wright took advantage of them and stole money.

"You have torn apart all of our lives. You have betrayed us, manipulated us, and used us," said Nadine Porter, a neighbor and victim of Wright's. "In my heart, I feel that Ashley has not suffered any consequences for her actions. Her parents have paid and will continue to pay everything for her."

The defense brought in Wright's doctor who testified that Wright had post-partum depression after the birth of her child. He testified she was "not acting like herself" and the drugs prescribed to her may have made her act erratically.

"She didn’t seem to be in touch with reality at that point and it was alarming," said Dr. Leonard Brabson.

The defense also argued Wright was remorseful and sorry for her actions.

"Ms. Wright has hurt the people in this courtroom," said Jonathan Cooper. "She understands that she has broken their trust and will never recover their relationship."

Judge Scott Green denied the defense's request to give Wright judicial diversion to keep her out of jail. Judge Green stated the sentence he imposed was concurrent with the law but warned Wright if she re-offended, he would have no problem putting her behind bars for longer.

"You didn’t just steal from some random person," said Judge Scott Green. "You stole from those closest to you."

In one case, Wright went online and applied for a credit card using the victim's personal information. She then spent more than $3,000 on the card, according to the warrant.

In another case, Wright used a victim's credit card to make multiple purchases totaling approximately $2,990.

In a third case, Wright applied for a loan online using someone else's personal information.

Wright pleaded guilty to five counts of identity theft and one count of theft up to $1,000.

Tammy Wright, Ashley's mother-in-law, says Ashley convinced her to take out thousands of dollars in loans to help pay for what she said was an upcoming surgery and car repair bills. It was all a lie.

"Thinking that our son and daughter in law were in dire need and she needed to have surgery, we went to our credit union and borrowed $15,000," said Tammy. "There are not enough words to express how we’ve been affected with not just myself being a victim of Ashley Wright, my daughter, my son-in-law, who are also two of the other victims, this has torn our family apart."

Mandy Hipshire caught Wright on video sneaking into her classroom at school and stealing money she had saved to buy her children back-to-school supplies.

"You entered my room and stayed there for several minutes. I knew immediately when I saw it that it was you. I had no doubt. My assistant principal even commented that he could see what looked like cash in your hand when you walked out of my room," said Hipshire. "You were my best friend and I knew that if you had stolen money from me, you must have been in trouble and needed it more than I did."

Wright was a teacher at Whittle Springs Elementary School and was placed on administrative leave when the charges came to light.

Wright was removed from administrative leave on Oct. 19, according to Knox County Schools spokeswoman Carly Harrington. She was scheduled to go back to work Oct. 20 as a teaching assistant for a personal accountability class at A.L. Lotts Elementary School, Harrington said.

After Wright was sentenced, 10News reached out to Knox County Schools for a statement. The following response was provided by KCS Communications and Events Specialist Abbey Harris:

"Ms. Wright has been placed on administrative leave without pay. All employees are entitled to due process and that is currently underway in Ms. Wright's case as we await official court documents."

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