A New York man and a New Jersey woman have admitted their roles in a conspiracy to distribute dangerous designer drugs, including a synthetic opioid that authorities say is several times more potent than morphine.
Federal prosecutors say 34-year-old Brian Parker, of Long Island City, New York, and 30-year-old Victoria Koleski, of Farmingdale, New Jersey, pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy and drug charges. They both face up to 20 years in prison when they're sentenced in July.
They were arrested in August 2017 after a huge raid at a luxury waterfront high-rise in Long Island City. Parker lived at the high-rise, and chopper video showed investigators in Hazmat suits hauling out boxes of evidence in front of surprised residents of the 41-story building.
Parker admitted making and distributing the drugs through two online companies he controlled. The substances were linked to a May 2016 overdose death in Madison, Wisconsin.
Koleski was among those who helped Parker distribute the drugs.
