Defense lawyer in OUI cases is himself charged after woman loses arm in boat accident
A Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer who specializes in operating-under-the-influence cases was being held in lieu of $75,000 cash bail on Monday after himself being charged in an OUI case.
Benjamin Urbelis, 33, was arraigned Monday wearing a T-shirt and swim trunks and pleaded not guilty. He was taken into custody after a Saturday evening motorboat accident in Boston Harbor.
Authorities said a 19-year-old passenger on the 29-foot “Naut Guilty” operated by Urbelis fell overboard and suffered life-threatening injuries, including an arm amputation by the boat’s propeller as she was trying to reboard, according to Boston.com and the Boston Globe.
A Suffolk County prosecutor in Boston Municipal Court on Monday described Urbelis as “drunk and belligerent” when interviewed by police after the accident and said he refused a breath test.
The articles don’t include any comment from the attorney or his legal counsel.
In addition to OUI, Urbelis was charged with negligent boat operation and operating a motorboat that lacked a required identification number.
