NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Three drug dealers who operated a delivery service in Manhattan were arrested on Tuesday for dispensing fentanyl-laced drugs which caused three fatal overdoses in one day last year, federal authorities said.
A criminal complaint said the three suspects—Billy Ortega, Kaylen Rainey and William Drayton—were each charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.
Both Ortega and Rainey were also charged with causing the death of the three victims, the complaint said.
Ortega, 35, sent Rainey out to make deals on the deadly day at three different Manhattan addresses, according to the complaint.
The customers—Julie Ghahramani, Ross Mtangi and Amanda Scher—all died from overdoses after using the fentanyl-laced cocaine they purchased that day, the complaint said.
In text messages obtained by investigators between Ortega and the customers, the dispatcher told them the dealers had a “new batch” of product available.
“Question first…is it the same as it was Sunday? Because that was not good lol, had to get rid of it,” Scher wrote in a text to the number for delivery, the court papers cited.
Ortega allegedly replied and said “No new…Batch.”
Ortega allegedly texted Scher to not do too much as the drug was really strong. She never responded back. Phone records show the number attempted to FaceTime Scher after the text exchange but the calls were not answered.
Ghahramani also exchanged messages with the number.
Investigators were able to trace the phone number to what they believe is Ortega’s iCloud account.
Rainey can be seen on surveillance video from the customer’s addresses the night the transactions occurred.
The third person arrested, Drayton, was not involved in the three fatal deals but had previously made drug runs for the service.
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All three are awaiting arraignment in Manhattan federal court.