Former prisoner and math teacher who once appeared on “Jeopardy!” is arrested when an elite New York school investigates him for explicit photos

metro

From Joe Marino And Katherine Donlevy

A former convict and math teacher at an elite Brooklyn private school who was once a contestant on “Jeopardy!” was arrested last week as part of an investigation into spreading sexualized images on social media, according to sources.

Convicted thief Winston Nguyen – who was incarcerated at Rikers for stealing $300,000 from an elderly couple – was arrested last Thursday in front of a crowd of students at St. Ann’s School in Brooklyn Heights.

No charges have been filed against Nguyen, but he is being investigated by the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, sources confirmed to The Post.

He was released on Saturday.

“We await a decision from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office regarding charges against Mr. Nguyen,” his attorney Frank Rothman told The Post in an email.

“We expect movement in the near future.”

A spokeswoman for Saint Ann’s – where high school tuition is more than $60,000 a year – confirmed to the Daily Beast, which first reported the story, that Winston is “a suspect in an ongoing investigation related to the distribution of intimate images via social media.”

“Following his arrest on Thursday, he was immediately placed on leave from school and remains on leave,” the spokesman noted.

On the day of Nguyen’s arrest, Saint Ann’s School Principal Kenyatte Reid informed parents that the middle and high school math teacher’s arrest was part of an investigation that “goes back to January 2024.”

Reid did not reveal what the investigation was about until days later. In a follow-up email, he told parents that it was about “inappropriate sexualized images” and that Nguyen was prohibited from contacting anyone in the school community or attending school, the Daily Beast reported.

“This incident is deeply troubling to all of us,” Reid wrote. “We pride ourselves on our amazing teachers and a learning environment built on trust.”

Nguyen has been teaching at St. Ann’s School since 2020 – just a year after he was fired from Rikers Island for using an elderly couple as his personal piggy bank.

While working as the couple’s home caregiver, he pocketed more than $300,000 and used the money to buy ballet tickets and a trip to Florida.

During his time in prison, Nguyen publicly criticized conditions at the Department of Corrections, called into a radio show twice to speak with Mayor Bill de Blasio, and later filed a lawsuit against the city.

St. Ann’s stated that a comprehensive background check, including criminal records, was conducted during the hiring process.

“A non-violent criminal record does not have to preclude employment,” the school’s spokesperson told The Daily Beast. “The school carefully and critically evaluates whether an applicant is a good fit for the school.”

Nguyen did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.

St. Ann’s School is a prestigious educational institution with a long list of prominent alumni and staff.

Famous former students include “Girls” creator Lena Dunham, artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and Maya Hawk, the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman.

Tuition for this luxury school starts at $52,900 for preschool students and rises to $60,525, plus a number of other fees, for high school students.