Man Who Sold Gummies That Sickened 12 William Floyd Middle School Students Pleads Guilty: DA

CENTER MORICHES, NY — A man caught while attempting to flee the country pleaded guilty after selling narcotics to an undercover officer — and selling the tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, gummies that resulted in the hospitalization of a dozen William Floyd middle school students, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

Wilmer Castillo Garcia, 23, a Guatemalan national, pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and endangering the welfare of a child, after selling narcotics to an undercover officer and selling the THC gummies, the DA said.

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According to court documents and the defendant's admissions during his guilty plea allocution, in March 2025, Castillo Garcia sold THC gummies on Instagram, which ultimately led to 12 students from William Floyd Middle School ingesting them — the students went to Peconic Bay Medical Center after falling ill.

Then, on May 5, 2025, and May 12, 2025, Castillo Garcia sold cocaine and marijuana to an undercover law enforcement officer, the DA said.

On August 14, 2025, Castillo Garcia was arraigned before Acting Supreme Court Justice Anthony Senft, Jr., and ordered released on his own recognizance during the pendency of the case because the charges are considered non-bail eligible under current New York State law, Tierney said.

On October 4, 2025, while the case was pending, Castillo Garcia was arrested by the Canada Border Services Agency at the Lewiston Bridge in Lewiston, New York, while he was attempting to flee the United States, Tierney said.

Castillo Garcia was subsequently placed into the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and brought to the Batavia Federal Detention Facility in Batavia, New York, for removal proceedings, the DA said.

At the request of the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, ICE returned Castillo Garcia to Suffolk County upon a judicial writ to face the charges contained in the indictment, Tierney said.

On July 23, Castillo Garcia pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, a Class B felony, and endangering the welfare of a child, a Class A misdemeanor, before Justice Senft, the DA said.

Castillo Garcia is due back in court on September 10 and is expected to be sentenced to two years in prison, followed by two years of post-release supervision, Tierney said.

ICE currently has a detainer on Castillo Garcia, to take custody of him after he serves his prison sentence, the DA said.

He is being represented by Matthew Tuohy. "It's a very sad story," Tuohy said. "The boy was homeless on the street in his country and came here. He lacks education and made a bad decision, for which he's paid dearly. It's a very sad situation and I feel sorry for everyone involved."

"This defendant illegally sold cocaine, marijuana, and THC gummies. The gummies then got into the hands of children," which led to the children being hospitalized, the DA said. "Because the charges are non-bail eligible under current New York law, prosecutors could not ask for bail when the defendant was arrested, so the defendant fled to the Canadian border in an attempt to evade prosecution in this case. With the vigilance of our federal and Canadian partners he was apprehended and was brought back to Suffolk County where he has been held accountable for his crimes."