It has been over a month since five Wesleyan University students—including Bethesda native Zachary Kramer and Rockville resident Abhimanyu Janamanchi—were arrested in connection with drug overdoses that sent 11 students to a Connecticut hospital in late February.
Though no trial date has been set, Kramer, 21, is scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Middletown, Connecticut, on April 21 along with Janamanchi, 21, who is also facing drug-related charges following the incident.
The Middletown police department said the overdoses were believed to be caused by a bad batch of the party drug MDMA, also known as Molly.
Of the five students, four have already been expelled from the liberal arts college, though they are appealing the ruling. Kramer’s university hearing is still pending and he remains on interim suspension, according to his attorney, Jennifer Zito.
“We certainly hope he will be cleared of all charges but it is too soon to predict an outcome,” Zito said.
All of the students charged in the incident have pleaded not guilty. The other students charged in the case are Eric Lonergan, 21, of Rio De Janeiro; Andrew Olson, 20, of California and Rama Agha Al Nakib, 20, of Lutherville, Maryland. Each student will be tried separately, according to Zito.
However, they have been charged as co-defendants and could possibly serve as witnesses in each other’s cases, Zito says. Proceedings for cases such as these have the potential to go on for months, she added.
Lonergan, Al Nakib and Kramer were all neuroscience majors, with the Bethesda native boasting a GPA above 4.0, according to the New Haven Register. Kramer is charged with three offenses: use of drug paraphernalia—a misdemeanor, possession of a restricted substance—a felony, and possession of less than .5 oz of marijuana—a violation.
Kramer faces lesser charges compared to the other students involved. He also was released on a smaller bail, $5,000, compared to the $50,000 bond for Agha al-Nakib, Lonergan and Janamanchi, and the $150,000 bail for Olson.
The Register reported Janamanchi was one of two students who was critically injured in the Feb. 22 incident. After recovering, he turned himself into police on March 6 and was charged with possession and sale of a hallucinogenic controlled substance.
Molly, also known as ecstasy or MDMA, is a synthetic, psychoactive drug closely associated with electric music raves and festivals. Though it has euphoric attributes, bad or impure batches can lead to hallucinations, loss of consciousness, and even death according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
The New York Times reported that authorities found a small amount of marijuana, nitrous oxide cartridges and a digital scale in Kramer’s room. It was also reported that Kramer performed chest compressions to help resuscitate one of the other students involved.
