A 19-year-old brought fentanyl into a Fashion Institute of Technology dorm in Manhattan, told two young women it was “pure cocaine,” and raped one of them after they passed out, federal prosecutors say. That student, Annabel Richter, later died. On Friday, prosecutors unsealed an indictment charging Moises Freire, 19, and Brian Peralta Cabrera, 18, in her death, ABC7 New York reported.
Both are charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance resulting in death, which carries at least 20 years in prison. Freire is also charged with distributing a controlled substance with intent to commit rape. The charges are accusations, and both men are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
What happened in the FIT dorm?
According to the indictment, on March 18 Freire brought fentanyl he got from Peralta to an FIT undergraduate residence hall. He allegedly knew what it was, calling it “fake” and “poison,” NBC New York reported, but told the two women it was cocaine and encouraged them to take it. Both quickly lost consciousness.
Prosecutors say Freire then raped Richter in her dorm room and sent photos of her to friends. He waited about 45 minutes before going to campus security and claimed the women had just had too much to drink. Security officers gave them emergency aid, including Narcan, and both were rushed to hospitals. Toxicology tests found fentanyl and no cocaine. Richter died of complications from acute fentanyl intoxication. The second woman survived after treatment.
What are officials and FIT saying?
We will work tirelessly to hold accountable those who endanger young people living and learning on our campuses.
U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald
Christopher Roberts of the DEA’s New York task force called the allegations “beyond disturbing” and said they “include a cruel deception and unimaginable assault.” In an email to students, FIT wrote, “We lost a beloved member of the FIT community earlier this year,” and said it had reviewed and strengthened its safety protocols. “It’s traumatic, it’s awful, it shouldn’t have happened,” one sophomore told NBC New York.
How can you tell if drugs have fentanyl in them?
You can’t by looking. Fentanyl is mixed into fake pills and powders sold as cocaine, and a tiny amount can stop someone’s breathing. Fentanyl test strips are cheap and widely available, and naloxone (Narcan) is sold over the counter. If someone won’t wake up, is breathing slowly or has blue lips, call 911 right away. The 45 minutes prosecutors say Freire waited is the kind of delay that kills.
The BeezLoop Take
If the charges hold up, this wasn’t an accidental overdose. It was a young man allegedly using a drug he knew was poison to knock out two women so he could assault one of them, and then lying to security while the clock ran. Prosecutors are right to charge the death, not just the drugs.
FIT’s email says it “reviewed and enhanced” its safety protocols. That’s what colleges always say. Students and parents deserve specifics: who gets into the dorms, how fast security responds, and whether Narcan is on every floor.
The open question: what exactly has FIT changed in its dorms since March, and will it say so publicly?
Also on BeezLoop: Cornell banned fraternity parties over its handling of a gang rape allegation, and whether the U.S. is in a mental health crisis.
Sources: ABC7 New York · NBC New York · NBC News (video)
