The arrest warrant for a Stratford High School English teacher reveals new details about accusations he ran an extensive online scam with school equipment.

School district officials said James O’Neil no longer works for the district. It follows an investigation into allegations O’Neil used school computers, printers and copiers to forge ownership documents for vehicles which he then sold illegally on Facebook Marketplace.

O’Neil, 46, of West Haven, is charged with second-degree forgery, third-degree identity theft, illegally altering motor vehicle identification numbers and failing to have a license required for selling or repairing motor vehicles.

Stratford police began investigating after an anonymous tip from another high school employee on Nov. 9, according to O’Neil’s arrest warrant. That person said O’Neil was altering vehicle bills of sale, insurance cards and other paperwork to sell the cars illegally on Facebook. The tipster provided supporting documents O’Neil had allegedly created and left behind in a room at the school, the warrant said. One was a bill of sale for a 2023 Jeep Wrangler from a dealership in Oregon. When police contacted the dealership, they confirmed the paperwork was fake and said, “they never had that vehicle in their inventory, nor did they ever sell a vehicle to O'Neil," according to the warrant.

The warrant also said that on Nov. 15, police got a from O’Neil’s ex-wife, who told them she suspected O’Neil was altering car purchase orders to sell cars that appear to have clean titles, cars which she believed he was working with other people to get. The woman told police she thought O’Neil was selling jet skis illegally, buying them with loans and then reselling them with false documents.

The warrant stated that police then got a warrant to search O’Neil’s computer activity on the school network and found forged bills of sale made by O’Neil for four other vehicles and a motorcycle.

On Nov. 29, police spoke to O’Neil at his home, and he admitted to making fake purchase invoices for vehicles he bought from someone out of New York but didn’t provide a name, the warrant said.

“He is in the position of teaching children, and he's supposed to be setting a good example and obviously he's not,” Capt. Jerry Pinto told News 12.

A judge signed the arrest warrant for O’Neil in December, but Pinto said O'Neil didn't turn himself in, so the warrant was entered into the National Crime and Information Center.

“When he was attempting to leave the country on vacation, he was screened by customs and borders agents at JFK and our warrant came up, so they took him into custody,” Pinto explained.

That was on Jan. 1. O'Neil wasn’t brought back to Connecticut and charged until Jan. 8.

“I don't think he was running from the warrant. He just didn't feel the need to turn himself in for a couple weeks and then wanted to go on vacation and ended up spending a week at Rikers,” Pinto told News 12.

O'Neil was released from custody after posting $75,000 bond. He has no prior record and Pinto said was never even on the department’s radar before. O'Neil hasn't entered pleas in the case yet. He’s due in court Feb. 4.