A Charlotte County Sheriff’s School Resource Officer (SRO) at Lemon Bay High School arrested an adult student on felony drug charges Thursday. Arrested was Gerald O’Rourke II, 18, 740 Morningside Drive, Englewood (Sarasota County), who was charged with Possession of Hydromorphone and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
LBH school officials contacted the SRO after O’Rourke was caught smoking in the boys restroom. O’Rourke was also observed removing a small object from a pocket and putting it in his left sock. The SRO searched the sock and located a small red baggie with the words printed that read “Stay High.” Inside the bag were three Hydromorphone Hydrochloride pills that are classified as “opiods” which includes Morphine.
O’Rourke said he had removed the three pills from his grandmother’s prescription bottle and took them to school. O’Rourke was suspended from school for 10-days with a recommendation for expulsion. He was then transported to the Charlotte County Jail where he remains on a $6,000 bond.
