NEW HAVEN - Federal prosecutors held a press conference Friday to announce charges related to the overdoses by several Wesleyan University students in February.
U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly announced a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Eric Lonergan, 22, of Brazil, and Zachary Kramer, 21, of Maryland, with distributing controlled substances that caused multiple Wesleyan University students to overdose during the past school year.
Five people were arrested in February in connection with the overdoses. A dozen people were admitted to hospitals, two of them in critical condition, after apparently using “Molly” on Saturday, February 22.
“Our hope is that this prosecution puts to bed the misperception that synthetic drugs are harmless party drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Daly. “As the allegations in this indictment clearly show, these drugs are highly dangerous. Many of the Wesleyan students who overdosed were seriously ill and one student nearly died. The growth and evolution of synthetic drugs is a serious public health concern. As is clear today, together with the DEA and our local partners, we will prosecute these cases. We thank the DEA, the Middlesex State’s Attorney’s Office and the Middletown Police Department for their collaboration and diligent work in this ongoing investigation.”
Molly is a synthetic version of MDMA, a powdered form of ecstasy, and is a popular party drug. Students who attended a party at the university’s Eclectic Society, located at 200 High St., were those who were exposed to the drug. But, federal drug tests later revealed the drug was not MDMA, uit was another powdered substance called AB Fubinaca.
According to the indictment, Lonergan and Kramer were students at Wesleyan. In November 2013, Lonergan began purchasing and redistributing Molly. Investigators say he sold Molly from his dorm room between 5 and 9 p.m. during most nights.
The drugs were sold at approximately $200 per gram.
In 2014, after the administration at Wesleyan sent out a campus-wide communication warning of the dangers of ingesting controlled substances like Molly, the indictment says Lonergan distributed a pamphlet instructing students on the use of psychedelic drugs. Also in 2014, Kramer began purchasing Molly from Lonergan and distributing it to students at Wesleyan.
The indictment says that Kramer took over for Lonergan in 2015. They say he provided the Molly on February 21 to 11 people, 10 students. Two of the students were in critical condition, and one of those students had to be revived after his heart stopped. After that event, law enforcement officers seized the substance and sent it to a toxicology laboratory for testing. Laboratory analysis confirmed that the powdered substance contained AB Fubinaca.
They are both charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute MDMA and AB Fubinaca, and one count of attempted distribution of MDMA and distribution of AB Fubinaca. Each of these charges carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of up to $1 million. The indictment also charges them with distribution of MDMA within 1,000 feet of a private college, a charge that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of one year, a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, and a fine of up to $2 million.
Both men pleaded not guilty were issued $250,000 bonds, which they say they will post by next week. Jury selection will begin at Hartford Federal Court on july 7.