Former court worker held in OxyContin sale
A former employee of the federal appeals court in South Boston was arrested yesterday on a federal charge of selling OxyContin.
Christopher Cook, 28, who worked nearly two years as a records clerk at the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, sold 200 pills to a witness working undercover with the FBI on Jan. 27 in exchange for $7,600 provided by agents, according to an FBI affidavit. Agents secretly tape-recorded the sale in Quincy.
The witness had agreed to cooperate with agents after being charged with drug trafficking outside Massachusetts. He told agents in late 2007 that he had been involved in drug sales with Cook for more than a year.
Cook, who lives in Pembroke, was arrested yesterday at an undisclosed location despite an attempt to flee, Assistant US Attorney Brian T. Kelly said at a brief court hearing before US Magistrate Judge Marianne B. Bowler. Kelly declined to provide details.
Because Cook had a history of arrests for violence and was a flight risk, Kelly said, prosecutors recommended that he be held at least until a detention hearing on Tuesday. Cook's public defender, Syrie Fried, did not object.
Wearing a yellow dress shirt and dark slacks, Cook said little during his initial court appearance.
He worked at the appeals court from October 2005 until July 2007, when he was dismissed for unexcused absences, according to Susan Goldberg, deputy circuit executive.
The FBI affidavit said Cook had applied to become a Boston police officer, but was not hired.
If convicted of the drug trafficking charge, Cook faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, Kelly said.
Jonathan Saltzman can be reached at jsaltzman@globe.com. 