A Bethesda man was among four Wesleyan University students arrested Tuesday after eleven students were hospitalized from drug overdoses related to the drug MDMA, also known as Molly.
Zachary Kramer, 21, of Tomlinson Avenue was charged with possession of a regulated substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia in the case, according to the Middletown, Connecticut, police department. Three other students were also arrested: Eric Lonergan, 21, of Rio de Janeiro; Andrew Olson, 20, of California; and Rama Agha Al Nakib, 20, of Lutherville, Maryland. All were suspended from the university.
Olson, Al Nakib and Lonergan face more serious charges than Kramer. Olson has been charged with possession and sale of hallucinogens; while Lonergan is facing 16 counts of supplying drugs and Al Nakib faces possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. Molly is a stimulant drug that can elicit euphoric effects and is popular in the nightclub scene and at raves, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
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Zachary Kramer, Eric Lonergan, Rama Agha Al Nakib and Andrew Olson (left to right)
Police said an investigation uncovered a specific batch of drugs that “may have had a mixture of several kinds of designer drug chemicals, making the health risks unpredictable and treatment to combat the effects, complex and problematic.” Police said search warrants were executed at locations on the Wesleyan campus.
Police did not indicate in a press release about what led them to the students. Kramer is scheduled to appear March 3 in a Connecticut court, according to police. Police said the drug may have been distributed to some students at a music show Saturday night.
The university contacted police Sunday when several students sought treatment at a hospital near campus. Two students listed in critical condition were airlifted to Hartford for further treatment, according to a Baltimore Sun report.
Police said Tuesday that two students remain hospitalized, while the other affected students have been treated and released.
