By Gayla Cawley
LYNN — Dr. Sheldon Sevinor, a well-known plastic surgeon, was busted for crack cocaine possession on Sunday night.
Sevinor, 70, of Nahant, has been a featured guest on Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The View, CNN World News and Inside Edition, among other programs, according to his website. He has offices in Lynn, Boston and Florida.
Sevinor appeared in Lynn District Court on a crack cocaine possession charge on Tuesday, and was released on bail. His next court date is Oct. 11.
His attorney, Randy Chapman, said he is in the process of reviewing the charges.
“Dr. Sevinor has been a respected surgeon for 40 years,” Chapman said. “He has never been accused of any type of inappropriate behavior. That said, I respectfully decline to make any additional comment.”
On Sunday, the Lynn Police Special Investigation Unit was conducting undercover surveillance on Johnnie Albert, 61, at his 11 Goldthwait St. home, said Lynn Police Lt. Rick Donnelly. Police characterized Albert as a well-known drug user.
Albert got into his car and was followed by police down to Mall Street, where a car, a grey Dodge, allegedly driven by Sevinor was parked. Albert allegedly stopped to have a conversation with Sevinor, before pulling out his car. Sevinor then followed him in his car, Donnelly said.
Albert eventually pulled over on Harwood Street, with Sevinor pulling over across where Albert was parked. Police then watched Albert get out of his car, and go over to where Sevinor was parked. Police then allegedly saw Albert’s hands go into Sevinor’s car, and then witnessed his hands come out and place something in his pants pocket. From that, officers believed they had just witnessed a drug transaction, Donnelly said.
Police then walked over to Sevinor’s car, and saw Albert walking slowly backwards to get away from the vehicle. An officer allegedly observed Sevinor quickly reaching his right hand into his left shirt pocket, retrieve something and make a throwing motion to the ground. From that motion, police saw several twists of suspected narcotics fall out of Sevinor’s hand, Donnelly said.
When Sevinor was asked to exit the vehicle, police observed two twists of suspected crack cocaine on the floor of the driver’s side of the car, along with three additional twists on the ground outside the vehicle. Sevinor and Albert were then arrested and the five twists of suspected crack cocaine were seized, Donnelly said.
Officers found $1,516 in cash in Albert’s pocket, with one pile totaling $200, the amount they believed to be equal to the five twists of cocaine, at $40 a bag. The cash was seized, along with a flip phone found in his pocket, Donnelly said.
Donnelly said a search of Albert’s vehicle yielded a “Mentos” container in the console, which contained three twists of suspected crack cocaine, equal in size and color to the twists found in the street. The drugs were seized.
Albert was charged with crack cocaine possession with intent to distribute and crack cocaine distribution.
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley.
