Former Bangor Area High School assistant wrestling coach Brad Washburn is facing drug charges months after he called 911.

Former Bangor Area High School assistant wrestling coach Brad Washburn is facing drug charges months after he called 911 Dec. 10 saying teacher Gina Riso had used heroin at his Bethlehem apartment and was probably dead.

A Bangor Area High School teacher, died Dec. 10 from unknown causes. Police seized heroin from the apartment where her body was found.
Riso, 24, of Lehigh Township, later was pronounced dead at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg on Schoenersville Road, the same street where Washburn's apartment is.

Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim today ruled Riso's death an accidental heroin overdose.

Washburn, 29, faces six counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to police. Washburn turned himself in to police this morning and is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges this afternoon.

But the investigation is ongoing, Bethlehem police Lt. Mark DiLuzio said.

"We will forward reports of what we learned about activity at Bangor Area High School to the Northampton County District Attorney (John Morganelli's) office," DiLuzio said.

DiLuzio declined to elaborate on what had been occurring at the high school.

At the time of Riso's death Bangor Area School District Superintendent John F. Reinhart said Washburn had worked at the high school as a teacher's aide besides coaching wrestling there from November 2008 until he resigned in May due to illness. Riso had been teaching high school biology since 2008.

From the Express Times