A Montgomery County Public Schools first grade teacher has been arrested and charged with selling fentanyl.
Police began looking into Sarah Katherine Magid, who teaches at Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School in Silver Spring, Maryland, after a man fatally overdosed on fentanyl in March at a drug recovery housing facility in D.C.
During the investigation into the man’s death, police received his phone from his family and found an exchange of messages between Magid and the man, setting up numerous drug deals, according to charging documents.
The texts show the man asking Magid for pills on numerous occasions, specifically “Xans,” slang for the benzodiazepine Xanax, charging documents show. There was also evidence of benzodiazepines in the man’s system when he overdosed.
Just two days before the man was found dead, message transcripts in charging documents show he was texting with Magid throughout the day to arrange the delivery of 30 pills. When the man had picked up 30 pills for Magid, she responded saying, “I’ll give you 1 (one) I guess,” followed by a message reading, “As long as it’s 30.”
Hours later, charging documents say Magid informed the man she was getting “bars,” slang for a specific rectangular shape of Xanax. The man responded by saying, “($)16 for a bar?” followed by, “I’ll get 2.”
That night, March 23, the man texted Magid saying he believed the pills were fake and Magid began assuring him that was not the case, charging documents said. In the early morning hours, he texted Magid that he’d changed his mind and believed the pills were real.
On the morning of March 24, Magid texted the man, “U want more xans lmk,” charging documents stated. Magid continued to text the man throughout the day and the following days and got no response.
The man was found dead the night of March 25.
Along with the texts, police received an anonymous complaint during their investigation that Magid had exited her classroom to sell drugs to other people, according to charging documents, which also stated that the complaint included photos and other information about her. The complaint stated Magid “constantly” purchases and sells drugs, buying as many as 100 fentanyl and Xanax pills at a time.
According to the charging documents, the tip also stated Magid had recently sold drugs to someone matching the name of the man who died March 25.
Magid faces five charges related to drug distribution, the most serious of which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
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