A middle school teacher in Guilderland is charged with possessing a weapon in a case involving a pistol recovered from Crossgates Mall, police said Friday. 

Akili-Abdul Duncan, 53, a Farnsworth Middle School teacher, was arrested Thursday and arraigned on the charge of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, according to the Guilderland Police Department.

The school district placed him on administrative leave, according to a statement.

His arrest stems from a lengthy investigation conducted by town police, the ATF and Rensselaer Police Department into a loaded pistol recovered at Crossgates Mall in 2021, authorities said. Duncan does not possess a pistol permit, Guilderland police said in its statement.

He was taken to the Albany County Correctional Facility. 

Superintendent Marie Wiles said the district hired Duncan in August 2022 and he passed a state-required background check.