BOSTON, Sept. 5, 2013—A Chelsea man arrested for drug offenses last week was also charged with assaulting a court officer and other offenses after he flew into a violent rage while awaiting arraignment, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

THOMAS BENT (D.O.B. 7/13/79) was arraigned in Boston Municipal Court on charges of distribution of a Class C drug, possession with intent to distribute a Class C drug, possession of a Class B drug, and conspiracy to violate the state’s drug laws, all in connection with his Aug. 27 arrest at the Haymarket MBTA station.

Bent is also charged with disrupting a court proceeding, intimidating a court official, and malicious destruction of property over $250, with those charges stemming from his behavior on Aug. 28 in the lockup just outside the courtroom in which he was to be arraigned.

Because of his behavior, Bent’s presence was waived at his arraignment later on Aug. 28. Assistant District Attorney Emily Hamrock requested bail be set at $15,000.  Judge Raymond Dougan set bail in the amount of $1,000.

According to prosecutors, a plainclothes MBTA Transit Police officer purchased 10 Clonazepam pills from Bent in the area of the Haymarket bus way at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 27.  At the time of his arrest, Bent was also in possession of various prescription pills, including Clonazepam, Gabapentin, Citalopram, Clonidine, and Buprenorphine, prosecutors said.

While in lockup at Boston Municipal Court awaiting arraignment the next day, Bent began yelling loudly and disrupted the court proceedings, prosecutors said.  The disturbance led the presiding judge to leave the bench until Bent could be brought under control.

Bent allegedly refused a court officer’s instruction to stop yelling and was told that he would be moved to a different area of the courthouse due to his disruptive behavior.  Prosecutors said that when the court officer entered the holding cell, Bent – who was in handcuffs and leg restraints – gouged the officer’s left forearm with his fingernails and attempted to kick him.  During the struggle, he allegedly threatened to kill the court officer.  With the assistance of other court officers, Bent was brought to an elevator where he struck the court officer in the head, attempted to scratch his face, broke the officer’s glasses, and then spat in the officer’s face, prosecutors said.

The court officer was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening.

Bent was represented by Hassan Williams.  He will return to court on Sept. 24.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt