Love Struck School Teacher

***READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED***

Posts about real school tragedy, crime, and/or events can be upsetting.

BLOG POST #197: This week, I’m sharing research on a specific crime involving a middle school special education teacher.

As the school year ended that year, the wife (second marriage), mother, and head of the middle school special education department found herself embroiled in her husband’s arrest case.

Love Struck

He was a Brazilian native, bodybuilder, and ten years younger than his wife. Typically the difference between a husband’s and wife’s ages wouldn’t be a factor in a criminal case, but it became part of the teacher’s defense.

The local county sheriff department busted her husband as he picked up a suspicious package from China at a UPS store. Upon searching his vehicle drugs were found prompting a search warrant for the contents of the China box where they found a large quantity of fentanyl.

Homeland Security, through Customs, later confirmed the husband had received packages from China for approximately five years.

Big Trouble

Officers armed with a search for the teacher’s residence found a clandestine laboratory and mixing equipment in a secure room. They also found over 20,000 generic Xanax pills and about 16 liters or 16,000 doses of the highly addictive drug GBL (Gamma Butyrolactone), commonly found in paint stripper, nail polish remover, stain remover, and circuit board cleaner. GBL is also known as a ‘date rape’ drug. In addition to the drugs, they found more than $400,000 in cash, guns, and a drug transaction ledger.

It’s quite possible the husband began using GBL and then fell into a lucrative business. GBL is popular with bodybuilders and weightlifters. It creates a sense of euphoria, reduces soreness, and helps muscle recovery and repair.

As you can surmise, the authorities arrested the husband and wife. Shortly after her arrest, the school district fired her.

$2 Million Plan

She pleaded guilty to one federal charge of possessing illegal drugs with intent to distribute. In court, her attorney said she became obsessed with her younger husband and would do almost anything to please him. The press referred to him as her ‘trophy husband.’

The defense argued the wife didn’t know her husband dealt in drugs. Evidence presented to the court showed a note found in the home that read, “2 million and we are DONE!” Also presented as evidence were transcripts of text messages between the husband and wife that clearly showed she was involved.

The judge took into consideration the good she’d done for children during her 25-year teaching career and sentenced her to two and a half years in federal prison for drug dealing. As part of her plea agreement, she agreed to forfeit the cash found in the home and after the sale, the $100,000+ interest in their house.

Worth Mentioning: Her Social Science and Exceptional Student Education teaching certificates, although expired, are in good standing as of the date of this post.

Her husband was released on bond after he was charged with state crimes prior to the federal charges. He cleaned out his bank account and fled to Brazil. Brazil doesn’t extradite its citizens to the U.S. Their 12-year-old daughter also lives in Brazil with her grandparents.

Do you know of a school crime you’d like to share? Email me so we can discuss the details.

Thanks for reading!

-Robin

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Source:

South Florida Sun Sentinel

U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida

World Health Organization