Principal charged with dealing crystal meth

**Bob_R** · 02.28.07, 06:37 PM

POSTED: 8:31 p.m. EST, February 28, 2007

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 Wednesday.

**darthadv** · 02.28.07, 08:33 PM

there's a tasteless joke in there to be made about eddie and wolfie, but i'll pass as it's annoying to see schools becoming less and less of a place to trust sending your kids...