Fentanyl in the Dorm: A Deadly Mistake

Two teenagers from New York City are facing serious federal charges. Prosecutors say one of them brought a deadly drug into a college dorm. A young woman died. Her friend almost died too.

It happened on March 18. A 19-year-old from the Bronx went to a dorm room at the Fashion Institute of Technology. He had fentanyl with him. He told the girls it was cocaine. Before that, he had called the stuff poison. The girls took it and lost consciousness almost right away. The man was not a student at that school. One of the women fell into a coma. She died on March 21.

Prosecutors say the man raped the woman while she was unconscious. He later told campus security that he had sex with her after realizing she was out cold. He also saw her friend lying on the floor with her eyes rolled back. He did not call for help right away. Instead, he waited about 45 minutes. During that time, he sent photos of the unconscious women to other people. When he finally went to security, he claimed the girls had simply drunk too much.

The 19-year-old and an 18-year-old from Queens were first arrested in March. They pleaded not guilty to the original charges. Those charges did not include rape. Now a new indictment adds that accusation. Both men remain in federal custody. They have not been arraigned on the new charges yet. If convicted, they face a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison. They could also get life behind bars. A third person, Harry Rosales Pino, already pleaded guilty in September. His charge involves a drug conspiracy that led to death and serious injury. He is set to be sentenced in December.

A top official with the Drug Enforcement Administration called the allegations deeply troubling. He mentioned a mean lie and a shocking attack. He said school should be where young people learn and follow their dreams. It should not be a place where bad people hurt students who are in a weak spot. At an earlier hearing, a defense lawyer tried to describe the night as just young people making bad choices. A judge shut that down. He said giving someone fentanyl is not a silly mistake.