Convicted INSPORTS fraudster Andrew wanted a noncustodial sentence for his $222 million theft from the organisation, but the request was shot down in the Home Circuit Court on Friday.

Instead, the former INSPORTS financial controller was sentenced to 10 years and seven months behind bars at hard labour.

His co-accused, O’Niel Hope and Rudolph Barnes, were also sentenced to prison for their part in the crime.

Hope will have to spend 5 years behind bars and Barnes three years, both at hard labour.

All three were convicted on Tuesday, September 30.

Wright, more popularly known as the promoter of the lavish French Connection and Chug It parties, was motionless in the dock as Justice Ann-Marie Lawrence-Grainger made her ruling after a long summary.

His attorney, Isat Buchanan, had argued that Wright had been a productive member of society, and his crimes were seen as non-violent. It was also posited that Wright had health issues, such as hypertension and a heart condition and that he would not survive in prison.

But Grainger noted that, based on the fact that Wright planned an elaborate scheme to defraud the government, she had no choice but to refuse his request.

“And so, having looked at the other sentencing options to include those requested by Mr Wright himself and those highlighted by counsel, having looked as well at the options of probation, order, and fines, the court determined that a non-custodial sentence was not appropriate,” said Grainger.

“I would say it is Mr Wright who played the most critical role in what was called to be well-planned, elaborate, and this was a scheme that deprived a government organisation, funded by taxpayers’ money, of millions of dollars,” she pointed out.

“The sums are no less than $110m. These were clearly premeditated acts, must have taken some careful planning and coordination,” she pointed out.

“The court also considered Mr Wright was a financial controller, so he would have been in a position of trust, which the court has found to be, and so, when the court does the balancing act between what is generally referred to as mitigating and aggravating factors, the court believed that this warrants custodial sentences,” Grainger explained.

The men were charged following an investigation dating back to 2017, which found $222 million to have been defrauded from the government agency.