Ex-Prosecutor Pleads Not Guilty To Trading Info For Drugs

A former assistant district attorney in Massachusetts has pleaded not guilty to selling confidential law enforcement information to drug suppliers in exchange for oxycodone pills.

Stephen Gilpatric of Somerville, once considered a rising star in the Middlesex district attorney's office, was released on personal recognizance after his arraignment Friday.

The 35-year-old Gilpatric faces charges including unlawfully communicating criminal offender record information and receiving unlawful compensation.

Prosecutors say he developed an addiction to oxycodone pills that eventually led to "severe financial strain."

He's also accused of accepting $1,500 from a woman trying to get her son's commercial driver's license restored after a criminal conviction.

His attorney called the case a "tragedy" and said there is no evidence his actions compromised any cases. She says Gilpatric has beaten his addiction.