Texas Principal Charged With Felony After Allegedly Selling Weight Loss Drugs to Teachers

A School Leader Turned Unlicensed Drug Dealer

A former North Texas principal is facing felony charges after investigators say he illegally sold weight-loss drugs to educators and school staff. Gerardo Moreno Mendez, formerly of Crowley ISD, was arrested in June after investigators said he sold the popular weight-loss drug Tirzepatide, a GLP-1 medication. The case has raised serious questions about prescription drug safety, educator conduct, and the speed of the criminal justice system.

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, and Tirzepatide is sold under the brand names Zepbound and Mounjaro — only licensed medical providers or veterinarians may legally prescribe it.

From One District to Another

Moreno Mendez was formally charged with the delivery or offer of delivery of a dangerous drug on June 8. What makes the case even more striking is what happened in the months between the alleged crime and the formal charges. It's unclear exactly 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 district posted on Facebook on June 16 that it had named a new Godley Middle School principal.

A Defense and a System Under Scrutiny

Moreno Mendez's attorney said he voluntarily turned himself in after learning a warrant had been issued for his arrest, and that "by that time, the school district had already conducted its own investigation and reinstated him as principal" — calling it "a significant fact that should not be overlooked." Moreno Mendez has since been released on bond and is awaiting his next court hearing.

Criminologist Alex Del Carmen offered a broader perspective on how the new district could have been left in the dark. He explained that standard background checks typically flag individuals who have already been convicted or formally charged — not someone who may be temporarily accused or against whom formal charges have not yet been filed. Del Carmen put it plainly: "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."

The Bigger Picture on Prescription Drug Safety

The case arrives at a moment when GLP-1 drugs like Tirzepatide are surging in popularity. Demand has made them a target for informal, unregulated distribution — exactly the kind of activity at the center of this case. Criminologist Del Carmen called it "a serious, serious crime," noting that "the distribution of an item that is a controlled substance or a controlled drug carries misdemeanor and, at times, felony charges."

The outcome of this case will likely hinge on how aggressively prosecutors pursue the charges and whether Moreno Mendez's defense can leverage the district's own internal reinstatement as a mitigating factor. Del Carmen noted that the slow pace of the criminal justice process "essentially put the school in jeopardy, the new school in jeopardy, and the students as well." That observation cuts to the heart of a system-wide gap — one that this case may finally push school districts and lawmakers to address.