Bensonhurst Teacher, EMT Pal, Arrested For Selling Heroin

A former substitute teacher and an FDNY EMT were arrested on Friday after authorities wrapped up a five-month investigation in which the pair made nearly a dozen deals with undercover cops.

The Daily News reports:

Friends Lisa Testa, 33, and Joseph Meyer, 25, were jailed Friday on multiple drug charges — including criminal possession and criminal sale — after making nearly a dozen deals to NYPD undercovers, authorities said.

… The accused drug-dealing duo met about a year ago and spent a lot of time together, according to Testa’s mom — who described her daughter as “a superb teacher” and Meyer as a “nice boy.”

The FDNY disagreed, suspending two-year veteran Meyer for 30 days without pay over his alleged off-hours dispensing of illegal drugs.

While Testa only worked as a substitute teacher for two days in 2008, she remained on a city list of fill-ins until her arrest.

She was placed Friday on the “do not call list,” a Department of Education official said.

The New York Post reports details of the arrest and the investigation:

The investigation started in December 2013 after detectives received a written statement that claimed the school teacher was addicted to pills and heroin — and was selling the drugs, the sources said.

Testa, who sold assorted pills including heroin, clonazepam and suboxone to undercover cops several times over the course of the investigation, the sources said.

Suboxone is an opioid suppressant that treats effects of narcotic addiction.

Ortiz was caught carrying at least 80 glassines of heroin at the time of his arrest, cops said.

Testa’s mother told the Daily News that Testa has suffered from addiction for “a long time,” but that she didn’t believe she was dealing.