A high school teacher in Florida has been arrested after authorities allegedly discovered cocaine and fentanyl inside his backpack.
According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, 44 year old Christopher D. Toukonen was taken into custody on Thursday, May 7, and booked into the Collier County Jail. Investigators said Toukonen, who worked at Lely High School, is facing felony charges related to possession of narcotics, as well as a charge involving alleged drug paraphernalia.
Authorities said school administrators were alerted to concerns that the teacher might have been using narcotics while alone inside a classroom after students had left. Administrators reportedly searched his backpack and allegedly found suspected illegal drugs before contacting law enforcement officers.
Detectives later interviewed Toukonen and claimed they determined he was in possession of a mixture of narcotics including cocaine and fentanyl. The investigation remains ongoing. Collier County Public Schools confirmed that Toukonen’s employment had been terminated following the incident.
“Any act that compromises the safety and well being of students and staff, or the trust of our community, is taken seriously and addressed with immediate action,” the school district said in a statement to local media outlet Gulf Coast News. Reports also stated that Toukonen later posted bail and was released from custody on Thursday evening.