Oxford man held without bail on drug, weapon and assault charges after South Station assault on MBTA police
BOSTON, March 21, 2024 – An Oxford man was ordered held on revoked bail Tuesday in BMC Central after MBTA police on Monday encountered him in South Station and found him in possession of a knife and nearly 40 grams of heroin, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
SEAN LAVIN, 29, was charged with carrying a dangerous weapon (knife), two counts of assault and battery on a police officer, possession of a class A substance (subsequent offense), possession with intent to distribute a class A substance, trafficking heroin, trespassing, loitering in a railroad or railway station, and resisting arrest.
Judge Joseph Griffin ordered Lavin held on $25,000 bail and revoked his bail on a pending Roxbury case in which he is charged with possession to distribute a class B substance. Lavin is due back in court April 17 for a probable cause hearing.
On March 18, MBTA officers patrolling the commuter rail terminal in South Station observed a male, later identified as Lavin, enter and leave the men’s bathroom on four separate occasions, each time accompanied by other males. This behavior along with recent narcotic overdoses requiring EMS transports from the station’s bathroom led officers to believe there was illegal drug activity taking place.
Officers issued a trespass order and asked Lavin to leave the terminal due to him not utilizing the transportation services. About 15 minutes later officers observed Lavin sitting outside the station’s Atlantic Avenue entrance and informed him he was trespassing.
As officers spoke to Lavin, he immediately became argumentative and said “I didn’t do anything, I’m leaving” and then pushed both officers, causing them to lose their balance and stumble backward. Lavin fled and was taken into custody after a brief foot pursuit. As Lavin stood up, a black double-edged survival-type knife, approximately 12 inches in length, was observed on the ground.
Officers then recovered approximately 25 bags of powder believed to be heroin, weighing 38.27 grams in total, from a fanny pack Lavin had around his neck. Officers also recovered $87.50 in cash and a digital scale coated with white residue.
Hayden’s office is working with law enforcement partners to target offenders, particularly repeat offenders, in key commercial and commuter-centric areas of the city, including North and South stations, Nubian Square, the Southwest Corridor Park and the South Bay shopping area.
“This is a good example of an offense that can grind neighborhoods down and affect how people go about their daily shopping routines and their daily commutes. We have no intent of clogging up jails with low-level, nonviolent one-time offenders, but we are not going to tolerate repeat offenders who impact the quality of life our residents and visitors expect and deserve,” Hayden said.
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 justice 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.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communications