Police

Homeless man charged in June assault held on $100K bail

Monwell Wright mugshot. (Credit: Riverhead Police Department)
Monwell Wright mugshot. (Credit: Riverhead Police Department)

The homeless man accused of robbing and assaulting a man in a wheelchair in Riverhead is being held on $100,000 cash bail after pleading not guilty to two felony counts of robbery in county court last week. 

The alleged attack in June occurred barely a week after the 20-year-old was released from county jail after serving time for a January robbery in the same area of town, a jail clerk said.

Online court records show Monwell Wright was arrested on Aug. 6 on Railroad Avenue in Riverhead, a few blocks from where police say he — along with a group of at least three other people — attacked a disabled man with sticks or pipes on Maple Avenue near the railroad tracks on June 1 at about 10:30 p.m.

Mr. Wright allegedly beat the victim, knocked him from his wheelchair and helped steal cash and prescription medications before fleeing the scene on foot, police said. No other arrests have been made.

About a week before the June robbery, Mr. Wright had been released from county jail, having served 180 days in connection with a similar robbery case in January.

Mr. Wright had pleaded guilty to three felony charges in March in connection with the January attack, in which police said Mr. Wright beat someone with a rock during an armed robbery attempt in Polish Town.

On April 11, he was sentenced to six months in jail, online records show. But he was released on May 23, having served some of the six-month sentence while in custody prior to his plea, according to a jail clerk. Mr. Wright had another pending court case for possession of stolen property at the time, but paid off the $100 bail on that charge and was released.

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office had sought a two-year jail sentence for Mr. Wright at the time of his sentencing in April.

After his most recent arrest in August, Mr. Wright was indicted by a grand jury on three county charges, two counts of felony burglary and one misdemeanor for petit larceny, according to court records.

He was arraigned before Judge Condon last Tuesday and pleaded not guilty, a court clerk said.

Mr. Wright’s legally appointed attorney, Elan Markewitz of Riverhead, did not make a bail application for his client, reserving the right to later do so, a court clerk said.

Mr. Markewitz could not be reached for comment Tuesday morning. Mr. Wright is currently being held on $100,000 cash bail or $200,000 bond.

Mr. Wright was also charged with violating his probation. He was hauled back into court last Wednesday and an additional $5,000 cash or $10,000 bond was added to his bail, according to online records.

He is due back before Judge Condon on Sept. 17 for conferencing matters, according to online records.

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