Two men faced federal indictments after allegedly providing two SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology students with fentanyl, killing one and poisoning the other.
According to the unsealed indictment, the incident occurred on March 18 in Nagler Hall, a female only campus residence hall.
Defendant Moises Freire of the Bronx allegedly knowingly brought pure fentanyl to the victims’ dorm room, acquired from fellow defendant Brian Peralta Cabrera, who claimed the substance was pure cocaine, as the victims requested.
According to text details between Freire and Cabrera, the two conspired to provide fentanyl, as its effects fulfilled Freire’s desire for drugs that could “last the entire night,” strong enough to get both victims addicted and described this outcome as a “win win situation.”
Despite his knowledge of the powder’s composition, the surviving student told investigators that Freire said “he had just gone on a trip to Mexico. He got it from Mexico from someone he would trust with his life,” to encourage both women to consume the powder.
Prosecutors later found that Friere had confessed to fabricating the story to a friend.
Both women quickly lost consciousness and were unresponsive. Around 2:30 a.m., Freire allegedly began texting friends about their condition, sending photographs and allegedly remaining in the room for 40 minutes.
Prosecutors said that Friere did not approach campus security until around 3:10 a.m. “During those 40 minutes, it’s unclear what the defendant was doing,” U.S. Attorney Ariana Bloom said.
Campus security administered a dose of Narcan to both victims once they gained access to the victims’ dorm room, before both were rushed to the hospital.
One of the victims failed to regain consciousness and passed away three days after the incident from complications sustained by acute fentanyl intoxication.
The second victim survived but also suffered acute fentanyl intoxication, causing serious bodily injury that left her near death.
A toxicology report found fentanyl in both victims’ systems, with no other opioids detected.
Following the victim’s death, Freire was arrested and faces severe federal charges, including conspiring to distribute narcotics resulting in death or serious bodily injury, the distribution of narcotics resulting in death or serious bodily injury and the distribution of a controlled substance with the intent to commit rape.
Cabrera was charged with conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death or serious bodily injury.
Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to all charges, with Cabrera being released on $75,000 bail and home detention.
Freire remains in custody, while the two have since been indicted on new charges.
A third defendant, Harry Ro sales Pino, pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death or serious bodily injury.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 15 and faces the same sentence despite his guilty plea. Although court documents did not identify the victims, friends and family later identified the student who died as Annabel Richter, a 21-year-old college freshman from São Paulo, Brazil, who was studying fashion design at FIT.
“We hope her story brings awareness about the deadly harms our kids are exposed to, and their vulnerabilities, especially when it comes to the safety of young women,” Richter’s mother, Flavia Rocha, said in a statement to The New York Times.
A vigil for Richter was held on March 26, where both family and friends recounted memories and participated in a candle-lighting ceremony as a tribute.
FIT students said that they attended the vigil but were not aware of all the details, as information surrounding Richter’s death was initially limited from the general student body.
“I think the school organized it, but friends, family, really everyone was there,” one student in attendance said in a statement to NBC.
Former FIT security guard and NYC advocate Raul Rivera condemned FIT’s handling of the situation in a statement released on his Instagram, drawing emphasis about improper campus security.
Rivera also called for the removal of public safety directors Ishmael Kwawununu and Mario Cabrera.
Rivera said he attempted to reach out to former FIT President Joyce Brown, sitting President Ja son Schupbach and the sitting vice presidents of FIT, all of whom refused to comment.
Rivera later drew similarities between a situation he observed during his time as a security guard, where a student had committed suicide in 2023, and FIT “covered it up.”
Schupbach issued a campus wide email on Oct. 15 outlining the school’s next steps to prevent a situation of such magnitude from recurring and to establish FIT’s willingness to cooperate with law enforcement.
“As this case moves forward, FIT will continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement and the legal system.
We will be providing additional information as it becomes available, while respecting the necessary privacy and security of those involved,” Schupbach said in an email obtained by The Ticker.
FIT officials also said that safety protocols will undergo serious revisions and that they will significantly increase their security presence throughout its campuses “in anticipation of increased public attention on FIT.”
“In the months following the devastating passing of our community member, we ensured that safety protocols, training and security have been reviewed and enhanced,” Schupbach said.
The case is now being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency, the New York Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
“Every student deserves to feel safe, whether walking across campus, sitting in a classroom, or inside their own dorm room.
The DEA New York Task Force Division, alongside the NYPD, and our prosecutorial partners will not stand idle while individuals prey on young people, poison our communities, and attempt to escape accountability,” Christopher Rob erts, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration New York Task Force Division, said.
