Fentanyl Overdose Case Involving NYC College Student

A 19-year-old man from New York City has been charged with causing the death of a college student due to a fentanyl overdose, followed by allegedly assaulting her in her dorm room. He reportedly sent semi-nude images of the victim to friends, and prosecutors suggest that if he had sought help sooner, she might have survived.

Moises Freire is accused of supplying fentanyl to Annabel Richter, a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and her roommate in late March, claiming he would bring them cocaine from Mexico. This information comes from recently unsealed court documents provided by the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Interestingly, Freire had experienced fentanyl just a week earlier, labeling it as “poison” in a message to a friend, as per the court filings. Notably, he is not an FIT student.

Both women quickly fell unconscious and were hospitalized, with Richter never regaining consciousness and passing away three days later. Fortunately, her roommate survived.

Freire is said to have waited around 45 minutes before he called campus security after Richter lost consciousness. He allegedly misled officers, claiming both women had drunk too much and that he only realized one was unconscious after he had engaged in sexual activity with her.

However, campus security found that both women were suffering from severe fentanyl intoxication. First responders administered Narcan and transported them to the hospital.

Before emergency personnel arrived, Freire supposedly sent images of the unconscious girls to a friend, one of whom was not dressed below the waist, as revealed in new documents.

A prosecutor highlighted the shocking nature of the situation, noting that Freire appeared coherent and sober at the time, so it seems implausible that he was unaware of the condition of the unconscious victim during the encounter.

Freire is currently in custody without bail, awaiting a trial set for March of next year. He faces enhanced charges for distributing a controlled substance with the intent to commit rape, among other drug-related charges.

If convicted, he could face a minimum sentence of 20 years, with a maximum of life in prison, according to reports.

Richter’s mother shared her grief, describing Annabel as vibrant and knowledgeable about music and art. She expressed a desire for her daughter’s story to raise awareness about violence against women and to pursue justice.

In this case, two additional men have also been charged. Brian Peralta Cabrera, an 18-year-old friend of Freire’s, allegedly assisted in obtaining the fentanyl, while another individual, Harry Rosales Pino, believed to be the dealer, has already pleaded guilty to charges of narcotics distribution resulting in death.

Freire’s attorney has claimed that he had a consensual sexual relationship with Richter during the year leading up to the tragic incident.