MORICHES, NY — A man was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty in July to selling the marijuana-laced gummies that sent a dozen middle school students to the hospital, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.
Wilmer Castillo Garcia, 24, a Guatemalan national, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty in July to third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, and endangering the welfare of a child, Tierney said.
Castillo Garcia sold tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, gummies that resulted in the hospitalization of local middle school students from the William Floyd School District, Tierney said.
He also sold narcotics to an undercover officer, Tierney said.
According to court documents and the defendant's admissions during his guilty plea allocution, in March 2025, Castillo Garcia sold THC gummies over Instagram that were later ingested by 12 students from William Floyd Middle School in Moriches, the DA said.
The students sought medical attention after falling ill from ingesting the gummies, Tierney said.
On May 5, 2025, and May 12, 2025, Castillo Garcia sold cocaine and marijuana to an undercover law enforcement officer, Tierney said.
He was arrested and arraigned on August 14, 2025, before Acting Supreme Court Justice Anthony Senft, Jr. and released on his own recognizance; the charges are 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, NY, while he was attempting to flee the country, Tierney said.
Castillo Garcia was subsequently placed in the custody of ICE and brought to the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia, NY, Tierney said.
At the request of the District Attorney's Office, ICE returned Castillo Garcia to Suffolk County upon a judicial writ to face the charges contained in the indictment, the DA 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.
On Tuesday, Castillo Garcia was sentenced to two years in prison, to be 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 was represented by Matthew Tuohy.
"It was a very sad story," Tuohy has told Patch. "This 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."
The students were transported to area hospitals after they got sick after eating marijuana gummies at the William Floyd Middle School, officials said at the time.
In a statement to Patch at the time, the William Floyd school district spoke about next steps: "While we cannot discuss student discipline publicly due to privacy laws, we take this matter seriously and there will be appropriate consequences. We will continue to build upon our anti-drug programs and also continue to host grade-level assemblies highlighting the dangers of all drug use, including edible marijuana."
Suffolk County Police Seventh Precinct officers responded to William Floyd Middle School, located at 630 Moriches Middle Island Road in Moriches, at about 10:10 a.m. on March 3, 2025 for multiple aided cases, police said.
The students, ages 13 and 14, got sick after taking marijuana gummies, police said; 10 were transported to local hospitals for evaluation, according to Suffolk County Fire Rescue Services.
"This morning, a student at William Floyd Middle School handed out edible THC gummies to students, who have since fallen ill," a statement from the William Floyd Union Free School District said. "The Suffolk County Police Department and local EMTs responded en masse to provide care and assistance, along with our school nurse, to students."
Of the students initially transported to local hospitals for assistance, one was released into the custody of a parent, the district said.
"We are grateful to our first responders for their quick response, thankful that the students will be treated and hopeful that they will recover quickly," the district said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has guidance on its website on how edibles can impact children.
"Edibles, or food and drink products infused with cannabis, have some different risks than smoked cannabis," the CDC said. "The amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), or the concentration or strength, is difficult to measure and often unknown or inaccurate as labeled on edible products."
Edibles, or food and drink products infused with cannabis, have some different risks than smoked cannabis, including a greater risk of poisoning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Unlike smoked cannabis, edibles can, according to the CDC:
Some cannabis edibles have packaging designed to mimic the appearance of well-known branded snacks and candy that appeal to children, the CDC said.
"Children who consume THC-containing products can become very sick," the CDC said. "They may have problems walking or sitting up or may have a hard time breathing. Since adult cannabis use has been legalized in some states, unintentional cannabis poisonings in children have increased, sometimes requiring visits to the emergency room or hospitalization."
The CDC added: "If you use cannabis products, keep them in a locked childproof container and outof the reach and sight of children and pets."
"New York's broken bail laws put this defendant back on the street after he was arrested for selling drugs to an undercover officer and for giving weed-laced gummies to children," Tierney said. "He then used that opportunity to flee toward the Canadian border. Thanks to the strong partnership between my office and our federal law enforcement partners, he was apprehended again and has now been sentenced to two years in prison. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will take custody of the defendant upon the completion of his sentence."
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