Two of the four people who were charged in the drug overdose death of a woman who was visiting Miami for the Ultra Music Festival last year have been given plea deals, records showed.
The new details were learned as a hearing was held Thursday for the woman accused of selling the pill that allegedly killed 24-year-old Jenniha T. Le.
Charlene Forti, 27, is facing charges including murder, conspiracy to commit murder and unlawful use of a two-way communications device in the death of Le, who collapsed after taking MDMA, also known as Ecstasy or Molly, while attending the festival at Bayfront Park last year, authorities said.
Forti, of Coral Springs, is accused of selling the pill to Le’s partner, 25-year-old Hannah Le-Nguyen.
Le and Le-Nguyen had traveled to Miami from Georgia for the festival, and Forti allegedly gave the pill to 26-year-old An Tan Ly, who is accused of delivering it to Le-Nguyen, officials said.
Miami-Dade State Attorney’s OfficeMiami-Dade State Attorney’s Office
Jenniha T. Le
A fourth person who is accused of introducing Le-Nguyen and Forti, Carmen Lo, is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
Le-Nguyen and Ly are charged with possession of a controlled substance but records showed both were given plea deals by prosecutors earlier this week.
The records showed both will receive 5 years of probation as part of the plea deals.
Forti’s attorney, Richard Cooper, said the deals were done so they would testify against his client.
“The allegation is that my client gave pills to someone else who gave the pills to someone else, who gave the pills to someone else, and then that person died unfortunately,” Cooper said. “Under this law, which is preposterous, but under this law every single one of those people is equally as culpable as my client is alleged to be, and yet those guys got sweetheart deals, they’re out, they’re with their families and my client, a 27-year-old with zero criminal history, is in custody.”
Prosecutors filed a motion for pre-trial detention for Forti, but Cooper has requested an Arthur hearing to argue that she should receive bond. The hearing was scheduled for March 25.
Ray Martinez, Chief of Security at Ultra Music Festival, released a statement about the death on Thursday.
“We are saddened by this loss and extend our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones. We work closely with law enforcement as a longstanding practice and support the State Attorney’s efforts to hold those responsible accountable,” the statement read. “We have strong security protocols in place and take our responsibility to prevent prohibited items from entering the venue seriously. We enforce a zero-tolerance policy on illegal substances through comprehensive entry screening and on-site security measures in coordination with the City of Miami Police Department and other law enforcement agencies, and work with private partners on educational initiatives focused on drug awareness and attendee well-being. Our anti-drug policy is well established and remains a core part of our programming and our responsibility to the community we serve. We remain committed to strengthening our safety practices in coordination with public safety officials.”