A Boston man has been charged on July 10 with allegedly attacking a fellow inmate at the Norfolk County Correctional Center. Javon Sylvester Coleman, also known as “J-Dott,” age 22, was charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to kill or cause bodily injury to a witness, victim or informant with intent to retaliate for providing information to law enforcement.
According to charging documents, Coleman and others discussed the victim’s perceived status as an informant during a recorded jail call shortly before the attack. Coleman allegedly said he was about to “up that rank,” referring to increasing his status within the jail through violence. The group discussed ways they could harm the victim—whom they referred to using movie character names such as “Ratatouille” and “Stuart Little”—including placing a mousetrap on his tongue.
Surveillance footage reportedly showed Coleman approaching the victim from behind while he was seated watching television. Coleman then allegedly punched the victim repeatedly from behind and knocked him down before getting on top of him and strangling him while calling him a “rat” and a “snitch.” The assault continued until corrections officers intervened.
The charge carries a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England, announced the charge. Valuable assistance was provided by the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Cutshall and Philip A. Mallard are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in charging documents are allegations; Coleman is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court. The U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts enforces federal laws through prosecutions involving national security threats and civil rights violations; it serves all residents across Massachusetts from offices located at Boston’s John Joseph Moakley United States Federal Courthouse as well as branch offices in Springfield and Worcester, employing over 200 attorneys, paralegals, and staff members, according to its official website.