A man who used to teach at Cliffside Park High School has been sentenced to probation in a heroin possession case after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors.

The suspect was arrested in 2014. According to authorities, the 32-year-old suspect had a large quantity of heroin in his possession at Cliffside Park High School, the school at which he used to teach.

School officials learned about the illegal drug activity when a student at the high school reportedly came across a syringe in the bathroom. Employees at the school then contacted the Cliffside Park Police Department, which dispatched officers to the scene to investigate.

When law enforcement searched the school grounds, they allegedly discovered 125 bags of heroin that had been stuffed inside a backpack in the suspect’s classroom.

The suspect was charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute because the amount of heroin in his possession exceeded a statutory threshold. As a result, he could have been sentenced to several years in New Jersey State Prison.

Instead of receiving jail time, however, the suspect reached a plea agreement with Bergen County prosecutors that will allow him to receive probation in exchange for pleading guilty to a lesser charge.

Under the terms of the plea deal, the suspect will be required to serve a probationary term of four years. Additionally, the suspect will have to complete 100 hours of community service and regularly undergo drug testing and submit blood samples to Bergen County authorities.

For more information about this case, access the NJ.com article, “Ex-Cliffside Park Teacher Sentenced on Heroin Charges.”