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A Cortland man was arrested early Tuesday morning after he was found to be in possession of illegal weapons following an accident, according to a city police report.
According to the report, James D. Wright, of Cortland, got into an accident, hitting a tree near Rickard Street. When city police arrived on scene, Wright was discovered to be in possession of two rifles and a sawed-off shotgun.
The shotgun that was in Wright’s possession had a barrel that was “less than 18 inches in length,” the report states. It was also noted in the report that Wright was not “legally allowed” to be in possession of any of the weapons.
According to city detective lieutenant Dan Edwards, Wright was the only person involved in the accident, with Edwards adding his uncertainty as to what caused the accident. Edwards added that he was unsure if Wright was under the influence prior to or during the accident.
Edwards noted that Wright attempted to unload the illegally possessed weapons and hand them off to one of his siblings before city police arrived on scene.
“He knew he wasn’t supposed to have those guns,” Edwards said.
Wright has been charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon (a Class-D Felony) and three counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon (a Class-A Misdemeanor).
Wright was arraigned and sent to Cortland County Jail without bail. He is set to appear in city court at 10:30 a.m. June 29.
