Principal charged with dealing crystal meth

[CatWoman]

BETHLEHEM, Pennsylvania (AP) -- A middle school principal was charged with dealing crystal methamphetamine after police found the drug in his school office.

John Acerra, 50, of Allentown, was arrested Tuesday in his office at Nitschmann Middle School in Bethlehem, where police said they found meth on his desk.

Police said they began investigating Acerra in early February after an informant told them that the principal was using and distributing the drug, The Morning Call newspaper reported Wednesday. Acerra was arrested in his office after allegedly selling drugs to the informant, authorities said.

There was no indication that Acerra sold the drug to students, but Acerra did allegedly sell the drug from his school office after hours and on weekends, said Dennis Mihalopoulos, an agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Acerra has an unlisted phone number and it was not clear if he had an attorney. He was arraigned on felony drug charges and sent to county prison, with bail set at $200,000.

Bethlehem Area School District Superintendent Joseph Lewis did not immediately return a phone call from on Wednesday.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/02/28/meth.principal.ap/index.html

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. *furious* There is no one lower than a person who pledges to care

for our children who then turns around and abuses them.

[kestrel91316]

2. Quite a profitable little situation he had set up there................

enquiring minds SOOOOOO want to know if this money-minded entrepreneur happened to be a Republican contributor.............

[WinkyDink]

3. That's MY TOWN! Yeah, it was a pretty big headline in the local papers!

This moran is heading to the Big House. Sounds like he had a habit he needed to support.
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-principal0228-cn,0,1246361.story?coll=all-news-hed

[verse18]

4. You know it's hard out there for a principle.n/t

[TahitiNut]

5. A principal without principles? Who'da guessed it?

It's that ol' "free market" again. :eyes:

[ngant17]

6. For shame, Mr. PA princpal! Our FL principals have higher standards

Principal Accused of Crack Buy in School

The Associated Press

By PHIL DAVIS

February 23, 2007

A middle school principal bought $20 worth of crack in his office Thursday while students were on campus, authorities said.

Anthony Giancola, 41, principal of Van Buren Middle School in Tampa, was arrested in the school lobby after buying the drugs from an undercover police officer, Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said.

Giancola told the undercover officer last week he wanted to buy $200 worth of crack cocaine in his office at 7:30 p.m., McElroy said.

On Thursday, Giancola allegedly decided he wanted only $20 worth of crack and wanted to meet while school was still in session, McElroy said.

'The officer expressed concern about doing the deal when school was in progress and (Giancola) said he could guarantee no students would be around and that was where he felt safe and secure,' McElroy said.

Additional officers posed as parents in the lobby and made sure no students were nearby, McElroy said.

Giancola, of St. Petersburg, was charged with possession of cocaine and soliciting to purchase cocaine on school property, a felony that carries a minimum sentence of three years in prison, McElroy said. She said Giancola was cooperative with arresting officers.