Woman Denies Aggravated Burglary Charges

A woman accused of aggravated burglary denied the charge in Albany County District Court today.

Tawnee Wright, 27 is charged with entering a garage in Laramie and taking items from the victim’s garage without their permission. If convicted of the charges, Wright could face up to 25 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.

According to court documents, Wright was arrested on June 5 after a Laramie Police officer responded to a residence for a report of a possible situation with people armed with a gun not allowing the resident to leave.

The officer arrived at the residence and noticed a silver sedan in the driveway of the residence, being blocked by a pickup truck. The driver of the pickup told the officer he was blocking the sedan to keep the drivers from taking his tools from the garage on the property, court documents state.

The officer interviewed one of the suspects, Frank McKerlie, who said that he, Wright and two others had gone to the victim’s property to get some of Wright’s things that she had left while staying with the victim. McKerlie said they were not able to get into the residence and left, but returned a short while later.

McKerlie said he had given his 9mm handgun to Wright in case anything went wrong and Wright contacted Brian Sisneros, who she knew to be in the victim’s home. Wright had Sisneros take them into the garage and told Sisneros to move a tent, a sleeping bag and a queen air mattress from the victim’s van to the silver sedan.

Brian Sisneros later told officers that he had seen the 9mm gun in Wright’s waistband and felt threatened, according to the affidavit. The officers later found the sleeping bag, air mattress and tent in the silver sedan. The victim said that those items were hers and she had not given anyone permission to take them.

Wright remains incarcerated in the Albany County Detention Center on a $50,000 cash bond. Her trial is set for Feb. 1 and 2.