First-grade teacher arrested in connection to fentanyl-related death, Montgomery County police say

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. ( DC News Now ) — A first-grade Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) teacher was arrested on Monday in connection to the fentanyl-related death of a man, the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) said.

According to MCPD, officers and special agents from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed a search and seizure warrant at the home of Sarah Katherine Magid in Burtonsville on Aug. 19.

Officers arrested her for violating Maryland’s controlled dangerous substance abuse statutes.

Investigators said they started investigating Magid after a man died from fentanyl toxicity in D.C. back in March.

Court documents said the man was found dead just before 9 p.m. on March 25 while living in a residence that shelters people recovering from addiction. Witnesses reported seeing a light on in his room and finding him unresponsive and cold, with a blanket covering his face.

MCPD detectives and DEA agents later discovered he had been in Montgomery County in the days leading up to his death. While investigating, they learned that Sarah Magid was in contact with him.

His family gave DEA investigators his phone, which had texts between the victim and Magid, under the contact name “Sarah.”

Texts between the two started in January 2024, with the man asking her “lemme come get a jaunt,” trying to buy Xanax. Magid bragged about making money in the text exchanges, according to court documents.

In the days before his death, the victim expressed that he thought the pills were fake, with Magid later responding, in part, “there’s no way…cuz I never in my life seen fake pills imprinted exactly the same.”

On March 24, Magid responded to the victim’s messages, writing “U want more xans lmk” just before 9:45 a.m.

At 5:39 p.m., after not getting a response all day, she wrote, “Aiiitw guess u died don’t have many left anyways but she was gonna bring the pinks.”

Then, at 9:46 p.m., she sent, “Got a new bestfriend anyways lol.”

She continued texting him after his body was discovered on the evening of March 25.

Just after 2:30 a.m. on March 26, she wrote, “Guess u died.”

Then, at 4 p.m., “Bro are u straight,” followed by “U worrying me” a few hours later.

A few days later, the victim’s sister sent Magid texts from his phone, confronting her about selling her brother pills before his death.

The sister wrote, “I know who you are and I know what you did,” to which Magid doubted whether the victim actually fatally overdosed, writing, “Okay…I’m sorry about your loss if this is even true.”

She continued to deny selling her brother anything, saying that she teaches and “don’t blame ur brothers choices on me.”

Investigators confirmed Magid was listed as a first-grade teacher at Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School in Silver Spring. On July 28, police received an anonymous complaint about her, stating she had come out of her classroom to sell drugs to other people outside of her work, according to court documents.

The complaint further stated that she “constantly” purchases drugs and sells them as much as she can, and has been doing so for over four years now.

Officers transported Magid to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, where she awaits a bond hearing.

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