One of five former Wesleyan University students arrested in connection with a slew of party drug overdoses last year was sentenced on Thursday, the U.S. Attorney's office said.
Zachary Kramer, 22, of Bethesda, Maryland, was sentenced to to eight months of home confinement with outpatient drug treatment, four months of imprisonment, three years of supervised release and a $10,000 fine.
Police launched an investigation last February after nearly a dozen Wesleyan students were hospitalized after taking what they thought was the euphoria-inducing stimulant MDMA, or "Molly," authorities said. One of the affected students went into cardiac arrest, according to police.
Soon after the students sought medical attention, Middletown police suspected they might have ingested a bad batch of Molly and began investigating the drug's origins.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, the students bought what they thought was Molly from Kramer but the drug was later identified as the party drug "Spice" or "K2," a brand of synthetic marijuana.
Kramer became the drug's primary supplier in 2015, taking over after dealing drugs he bought from another student, according to the warrant for his arrest.
Witnesses told police they thought Kramer has bought the recent batch in Washington, D.C., and brought the drugs to campus. Police found several drugs in Kramer's dorm room, according to the warrant.
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Kramer initially entered a plea of not guilty, but pleaded guilty last year to one count of conspiracy of distributing controlled substances in exchange for charges of attempting to distribute and distributing near a private college being dropped.
Kramer, who was expelled from Wesleyan, was one of five students arrested on state charges amid the investigation. The state has since suspended its cases against Kramer and another student, Eric Lonergan, who are also facing federal charges.
