Sober home owner accused of giving recovering addicts drugs in exchange for sex

BOSTON — A Roxbury sober home owner and operator has been indicted on 34 charges in connection with distributing drugs to recovering substance users in exchange for sex.

Attorney General Maura Healey says the man, identified as 57-year-old David Perry of Reading, is also a lawyer and allegedly offered legal representation and advice, as well as cash and free rent at the sober home in exchange for sex.

Recovery Education Services Inc. is a nonprofit organization that runs the residential facility for men recovering from alcohol and drug addiction.

Healey says Perry distributed drugs to men seeking help for their addictions and also distributed drugs to his legal clients who were substance users.

The AG's Office also alleges that Perry falsified letters he sent to probation departments on behalf of numerous individuals, including some who were his legal clients and some who lived at RES. In those letters, he allegedly stated that people had been tested for drugs and produced clean urine samples. In some cases, the letters also said the individual was a resident of RES, sober and participating in the recovery programming offered at the sober house.

Perry was arrested in November 2017 after authorities obtained and executed a search warrant for RES and his Reading home, where they found cocaine, fentanyl and prescription drugs including methamphetamine, sildenafil, tadalafil and clonazepam.

Perry was indicted on 15 counts of evidence tampering, seven counts of conspiracy to distribute illegal drugs, six counts of possession of an illegal Class B, C and E substances and six counts of sex for fee.

In February, he was indicted on one count of distribution of fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to distribute illegal drugs.

Perry was arraigned on the charges of evidence tampering, conspiracy to distribute illegal drugs and three counts of sex for fee in Suffolk Superior Court on Wednesday.

Perry pleaded not guilty to the charges and was held on $10,000 with the conditions that he be monitored via GPS and subject to home confinement, except on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

He was also ordered to stay away from the sober home he owns and most witnesses and he cannot apply for a new passport.

Perry is due back in court on May 21. He will be arraigned on the other charges in Middlesex Superior Court at a later date.

Cox Media Group