Two teenagers face federal charges in a disturbing case involving fentanyl and sexual assault that prosecutors say led to the death of a New York City college student at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan.
A federal indictment, unsealed with allegations of drug conspiracy and rape, names Moises Freire, 19, and Brian Peralta Cabrera, 18, in a three-count case tied to what court documents describe as events inside an undergraduate dorm at FIT in March.
Freire is accused of bringing fentanyl to two young women after assuring them it was pure cocaine.
Prosecutors wrote, “In fact, Freire knew that he acquired the fentanyl from Peralta Cabrera and had described it as “fake” and “poison.”
“Almost immediately after arriving at their dorm room… Freire… encouraged victims 1 and 2 to use the fentanyl purported to be cocaine,” the indictment claims.” The victims used the fentanyl and immediately lost consciousness, say prosecutors. “Freire did not use the fentanyl.”
Prosecutors allege Freire then raped one of the women and waited some 45 minutes to contact campus security. “During that time, Freire texted photos of the victims to friends,” according to the government, and told others the victims were completely unconscious.
The indictment says the woman who was raped died a few days later at a hospital. The other woman nearly died and suffered serious bodily injury.
“It’s traumatic, it’s awful, it shouldn’t have happened,” said an FIT sophomore named “Morgan.”
“Obviously it was really, really sad and you can’t really wrap your head around it…” added “Fiona,” another FIT sophomore.
NBC New York obtained an email that students said was sent out Thursday, acknowledging legal proceedings and new information released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The email referenced the student’s death, saying, “We lost a beloved member of the FIT community earlier this year.”
“Everyone is just processing… again what happened,” Fiona said.
FIT sophomores told News 4 that when the incident happened last semester, they attended a vigil for the young woman who died, but were not aware of all the details.
“I think the school organized it, but friends, family, really everyone was there,” said Morgan.
“It was sweet that we all came together to just kind of support the family and also just be there to commemorate her,” Fiona said.
The newly-public details are being revealed as drugs and sexual assault on college campuses have gained national attention, including the sexual assault investigation on the campus of Cornell University.
FIT did not respond to a request for comment. In the email, the school said safety protocols have been reviewed and enhanced as the school cooperates with law enforcement.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC New York. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC New York journalist edited the article for publication.
