Hall County middle school teacher arrested in $6 million drug bust

PHOTO CREDIT: Channel 2 Action News

PHOTO CREDIT: Channel 2 Action News

A teacher at a local middle school was one of two people arrested during a $6 million drug bust in Hall County, according to Channel 2 Action News.

The Hall County Sheriff’s Office arrested Karla Alvarez, 28, and Monica Pascual-Brito, 24, at their home on Crawford Oaks Drive in Oakwood, Channel 2 Action News reported.

Alvarez is a teacher at Chestatee Academy in Gainesville and the district confirmed to Channel 2 that she is now on unpaid leave following her arrest.

The middle school teacher has been at the academy for two years and also coaches girls soccer, the television station reported.

Pascuel-Brito is Alvarez’s roommate, and both she and Alvarez are charged with trafficking and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and heroin.

The duo also faces two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, Channel 2 reported.

Deputies said they found 61 kilograms of cocaine, one kilogram of heroin and two semi-automatic assault rifles during their search of the Oakwood home.

“The quantity is pretty substantial,” Lt. Scott Ware, spokesman for the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, told Channel 2. “We have arrested teachers before, but I don’t recall arresting a teacher with this amount of drugs.”

Both Alvarez and Pascual-Brito remained in the Hall County Jail Tuesday morning, according to online records.

The school board will decide whether Alvarez will remain employed at the district next week, Channel 2 reported.

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