NEW YORK (WABC) — Two teens are facing federal charges this week accusing them of supplying the fentanyl that killed one New York City college student and poisoned a second.
According to the newly unsealed indictment, Moises Freire, 19, brought fentanyl he obtained from Brian Peralta, 18, to the victims’ undergraduate residence hall at Fashion Institute of Technology on March 18.
Officials said Freire falsely claimed the drug did not contain fentanyl and was “pure cocaine.”
Freire encouraged the victims to ingest the substance and almost immediately both women lost consciousness, prosecutors said.
While the victims were incapacitated, Freire allegedly raped Annabel Richter in her FIT dorm room. Authorities say he then took photos of her that he sent to friends.
He waited 45 minutes before seeking help from campus security, to whom he claimed the two undergraduates had simply consumed too much alcohol.
Campus security responded and administered emergency aid, including Narcan. Both victims were transported to hospitals in Manhattan.
Toxicology results later confirmed that both women had ingested fentanyl and no cocaine.
The second victim regained consciousness after life‑saving treatment.
Richter remained in critical condition and eventually died from complications of acute fentanyl intoxication.
“This case alleges not only the deadly distribution of fentanyl to two young women but also the sexual assault of a victim rendered defenseless by that poisoning,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “We will work tirelessly to hold accountable those who endanger young people living and learning on our campuses.”
Christopher Roberts, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration New York Task Force Division, said the allegations were “beyond disturbing and include a cruel deception and unimaginable assault.”
“College should be a place where young people can learn, grow, and pursue their dreams, not a place where predators exploit their vulnerability,” Roberts said. “Every student deserves to feel safe, whether walking across campus, sitting in a classroom, or inside their own dorm room.”
Freire and Peralta, both from Queens, are charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance resulting in death. They face at least 20 years in prison if convicted. Freire is also charged with distributing a controlled substance with the intent to commit rape.
(The Associated Press and ABC News contributed to this report.)
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