Wilmington Man Shot Five Times In Drug Deal Gone Bad

WILMINGTON, MA -- Burith Phan, 31, of Lowell, pleaded not guilty last week to charges he shot a 51-year-old Wilmington man during a drug deal on May 25. Attorneys for Phan say he is the victim of mistaken identity. The Wilmington man who was shot five times is expected to survive after being Medflighted to a Boston trauma center for lifesaving surgery.

According to the Lowell Sun, which first reported this story, the victim was giving his son a driving lesson. Without telling the 16-year-old why, he had him pull over in Lowell. The man was reportedly trying to buy crack cocaine from a dealer he knew as Asian John.

Phan has a lengthy criminal record and was described as "extremely violent." He was charged with armed assault with intent to murder, carrying a loaded firearm without a license, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, possession of a firearm without an FID, and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony after both the victim and witness identified him from police photographs.

For more on this story, see the Lowell Sun.Subscribe to Wilmington Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.

Patch file photo.