Mattapan Man Charged with Dealing Drugs While Detained at Suffolk County Jail
BOSTON, April 22, 2022—A Mattapan man was arraigned yesterday in the Central Division of Boston Municipal Court after Suffolk County Jail officials determined he was dealing drugs while detained there last summer, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
Woldson Noel, 22, is charged with cocaine trafficking, possession of a Class B substance (cocaine) and disturbing a correctional institution. Judge James Stanton ordered Noel held on $5,000 bail. He returns to court June 6.
Noel is currently in the Berkshire Jail and House of Correction, where he was transferred after the discovery of his drug dealing at the Suffolk County Jail. He appeared at the Boston arraignment via videoconference.
In June 2021, Suffolk County Jail officials screening calls overhead Noel referencing that he still had “stuff” on him that was missed during searches. Noel was also heard saying that he was making “four times the money” while in the jail. As a result of the information, jail officials conducted a search of Noel’s cell and found a white powdery substance inside a piece of paper. Officials also found a large white package inside Noel’s property bag, which was under his bunk.
After officials found the items in Noel’s cell, they transferred him to the medical unit to conduct a strip search. During the transferal Noel threatened guards and created a disturbance. As a result, he was placed in restraints. Officials found additional substances on Noel’s person during the strip search.
Subsequent testing determined the substances to be cocaine. The seized drugs weighed 19.3 grams.
Noel was being held at Suffolk County Jail last summer on a pending illegal gun possession charge. He has a lengthy criminal history, with more than 40 entries on his record.
“Dealing drugs while in jail is an incredibly brazen crime, and it didn’t lead anywhere for this individual other than more charges and likely more incarcerated time,” Hayden said.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communications
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal legal system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.