Crimeupdated 2h ago2 min read
Moisés Freire Charged With Drugging, Raping, Killing New York Student With Fentanyl
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Moisés Freire, 19, charged with sexually assaulting and causing death by fentanyl in Manhattan dorm. An indictment says another student was poisoned with fentanyl but survived.
5 outlets told this the same way.
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Fentanyl, rape, and delay
Federal prosecutors in New York charged Moisés Freire, 19, with sexually assaulting a university student and causing her death after he allegedly gave her fentanyl while she was unconscious in a Manhattan dormitory on March 18. The indictment says Freire told the two young women the substance was pure cocaine acquired in Mexico, and it states that the victims immediately consumed the fentanyl and lost consciousness. Prosecutors allege that Freire waited about 45 minutes before contacting campus security and sent photos of the unconscious victims to friends during the delay.
The indictment says emergency personnel administered naloxone and both women were taken to hospital, where one regained consciousness and was discharged while the other died from acute fentanyl poisoning. Judge Sidney Stein rebutted defense remarks by saying, “Sir, it isn’t silly teenage things to give someone fentanyl.”
Court statements and charges
Christopher Roberts, special agent in charge of the New York DEA task force, said the allegations include “a cruel deception and an unimaginable assault,” and he added that one of the young women was sexually assaulted while unconscious and defenseless. A prosecutor, Ariana Bloom, questioned Freire’s account at an April court hearing and said, “It is truly hard to believe that the defendant, who seemed entirely coherent and sober at the time, who didn’t have any of the substance.” The amended indictment described Brian Peralta Cabrera, 18, as charged alongside Freire, with Telemundo reporting that Peralta faced a conspiracy charge involving narcotics resulting in death and/or serious physical injury.
The amended indictment also said Freire now faces a charge of distributing narcotics with intent to commit rape, and it reported that the events date back to March 18 of this year. The case press release quoted Roberts saying, “Universities should be places where young people can learn and grow and pursue their dreams, and not places where predators exploit their vulnerabilities,” as prosecutors described the university dorm setting.
Arrests, pleas, and risk
Federal prosecutors said Moisés Freire and Brian Peralta Cabrera were arrested in March, entered not-guilty pleas, and remained detained since then while the amended indictment added the rape-related charge. Univision reported that Harry Rosales Pino pleaded guilty in September to a conspiracy to distribute narcotics that resulted in death and serious bodily harm, and it said his sentencing will occur in December. The Times of India reported that Freire is being held without bail while awaiting trial scheduled for March 2027, and it said he is due back in court on October 28 to be arraigned on upgraded charges.
The Times of India also reported that if convicted Freire faces a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and could receive a life sentence, and it said the upgraded charges include distributing a controlled substance with the intent to commit rape. The indictment described toxicology tests as showing only the presence of fentanyl in the victim’s body, and it said the other student survived after naloxone was administered.