Boston firefighter on disability leave faces drug charges

A Boston firefighter on disability leave will face charges that he illegally bought $200-worth of Oxycontin painkillers from a known drug dealer.

The firefighter, William Boyle, 58, allegedly bought the pills at the Broadway MBTA station Friday afternoon. Detectives handcuffed Boyle and brought him into the police station for questioning but did not arrest him. They released him and issued a criminal summons for him to appear in court on possession charges.

Boyle could not be reached for comment today. He is the brother in law of Boston Police Superintendent Dan Linskey, who issued a statement today saying he was "very disappointed" by the news.

"Billy is a great guy who served honorably in Vietnam and on the Boston Fire Department," Linskey wrote. "I hope this incident is the catalyst necessary to help him address his personal issues."

Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald said Boyle has been a firefighter for 10 years and took disability leave last April. He has since filed for retirment. MacDonald said information about the incident prompting Boyle's leave was not available today. MacDonald declined to comment further, saying department officials would let the case "work through the court system."

According to a police report of the incident, detectives spotted the drug deal on Friday afternoon, around 3 p.m. A detective confronted Boyle, who tried to run and yelled, "I didn't do anything, I am a Boston firefighter!" The date and time of his hearing in South Boston District Court has not been determined.

The alleged drug seller, Stephen Puglielli, escaped Friday but was later arrested and will be arraigned tomorrow.