Ex-North Texas principal facing charges for allegedly selling weight-loss drugs to educators and school staff, authorities say

A former North Texas principal is facing felony charges after investigators say he illegally sold weight‑loss drugs to educators and school staff.

Former Crowley ISD Principal Gerardo Moreno Mendez was arrested in June earlier this year after investigators said he sold the popular weight‑loss drug Tirzepatide, a GLP‑1 medication.

According to a criminal complaint, investigators said that in January, Moreno Mendez sold, dispensed, gave away, or supplied Tirzepatide to three female co‑workers. 

Federal law prohibits the drug from being distributed without a valid prescription. Tirzepatide is sold under the brand names Zepbound and Mounjaro, and only licensed medical providers or veterinarians may legally prescribe it.

"This is a serious, serious crime," said criminologist Alex Del Carmen. "The distribution of an item that is a controlled substance or a controlled drug carries misdemeanor and, at times, felony charges. It's all based on what the prosecutor decides to file in this particular case."

The medications have surged in popularity in recent years. Del Carmen is not connected to the case, but said that given the drug's popularity, he's not surprised by the findings.

"I mean, this was bound to happen at some point," he said. "These particular meds, as you know, are incredibly popular in the market right now, and many people are being denied by their insurance companies, either full coverage or very limited access to it. So it goes without saying that there's going to be a market for them in the black market."

A Crowley ISD spokesperson said, "Mr. Moreno is no longer an employee of Crowley ISD, and the district is unable to comment on personnel matters involving former employees." 

It's unclear when Moreno Mendez left Crowley ISD, but months later, he was hired by Godley ISD as principal of Godley Middle School for the upcoming school year.

In a statement, a Godley ISD spokesperson said, "Following Mr. Moreno's arrest in Tarrant County last month, the district requested and received his resignation. Because he was completing his duties with his previous district and had not yet begun employment with Godley ISD, he never worked in the district."

"The problem here is that it took so long for the charges to come through, and for the public to know – and clearly for the hiring school to know—that the person they hired ended up having charges," Del Carmen said.

CBS News Texas reached out to Moreno Mendez, but he did not return the request for comment. 

However, an attorney representing him said that he turned himself in last month after learning that a warrant had been issued for his arrest, adding that "by that time, the school district had already conducted its own investigation and reinstated him as principal. Although we are limited in what we can disclose at this time, that is a significant fact that should not be overlooked."

Moreno Mendez has since been released on bond and is awaiting his next court hearing.

"Don't put yourself out there to be endangered by something that you're putting in your body that may or may not come from the lab you think it may be coming from," Del Carmen said.

CBS News Texas will provide updates as more information becomes available.