NYC Teacher Accused of Loansharking, Steroid Possession

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MYFOXNY.COM - Authorities on Long Island have charged a New York City schoolteacher with loansharking. Sean Harris, 36, of East Meadow, who moonlights as a professional bodybuilder, is a gym teacher at I.S. 141 in Astoria, Queens.

However, he is not in the school gym these days. He was reassigned to administrative duties elsewhere at the beginning of the school year after being charged with possession of steroids.

Now on top of that allegation, he is accused of agreeing to lend $40,000 to someone at an interest rate of 2 percent per week, amounting to an annual interest rate of 104 percent, according to Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice. Any loan with an annual interest rate of more than 25 percent is considered criminal.

Fox 5 knocked on his door Thursday afternoon to get his comment, but no one appeared to be home.

Some of his neighbors described him as quiet and hard working with a nice family, including two children.

The Department of Education said Harris has been a gym teacher at I.S. 141 for 11 years. He is serving desk duty at another location pending the outcome of both cases against him.