DOJ: New York City Prostitute Sentenced to 30 Years for Causing Overdose Deaths

A federal judge sentenced a New York City prostitute to 30 years in prison after she distributed narcotics that caused the overdose deaths of two victims and gave drugs to two additional individuals who died following their encounters with her, the Justice Department (DOJ) announced.

Angelina Barini, 43, was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty in August “to two counts of distributing narcotics that caused the deaths of a person; one count of distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine; and one count of conspiring to distribute gamma-butyrolactone (GBL),” the DOJ said in a release.

All of the deaths occurred in July and August of 2019, according to the Justice Department, and all of the victims were men, WNYW reported. One of the victims whom Barini drugged was Andrea Zamperoni, an Italian-born cook who worked as the head chef at Cipriani Dolci in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal and was discovered dead on August 21, 2019, WNYW reported.

Per the DOJ:

Barini provided narcotics to her victims to incapacitate and rob them of their belongings while sometimes conducting business as a sex worker. On multiple occasions, those narcotics contained lethal doses of fentanyl. On July 4, 2019, Barini met with a victim at a motel in Astoria, Queens and gave him fentanyl-laced drugs. The victim was found dead later that day. On July 11, 2019, Barini met with a victim at a motel in Woodside, Queens and gave him fentanyl-laced drugs which caused his overdose death. On August 5, 2019, Barini met another victim in College Point, Queens and gave him fentanyl-laced drugs which caused his overdose death.

On August 18, Barini connected with a fourth victim, identified by WNYW as Zamperoni, at a motel in Elmhurst, Queens, and drugged him with GBL, a “date rape” drug, according to the DOJ. After Zamperoni failed to show up for work, his body was discovered in the motel, WNYW reported.

“In the corner of the room, law enforcement authorities noticed what appeared to be a garbage can with bed linens stuffed inside and what appeared to be a bare human foot sticking out of the bed linens,” court papers stated, according to the outlet.

The prostitute reportedly asserted that her pimp would not allow her to contact authorities, adding that he spoke of dismembering the body.

Court papers note that during a search of the unit, investigators procured “a purple liquid in a glass with powder at the top of the liquid and around the rim, glass pipes for smoking narcotics, bottles of bleach and bleach-covered towels, electronics, a power saw and an empty suitcase,” WNYW said.

“Prosecutors said Barini admitted to providing the chef drugs and later admitted that her pimp gave the chef ‘liquid ecstasy,'” WNYW noted.

In the release, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace said:

The defendant drugged and killed multiple people for a few quick dollars. She stole their personal belongings while they lay unconscious dying from the lethal drugs she gave them. The defendant’s substantial prison sentence is warranted by her shocking disregard for human life. Hopefully, today’s sentence will bring some solace to the victims’ families and serve as a warning to future perpetrators that there are significant consequences to these horrific crimes.

The New York Post caught up with Barini’s older sister following the sentencing, who identified herself as Sally and called the sentence “a little harsh,” adding that her sister intends to appeal.

She added:

I think what wasn’t taken into account was that of course what happened was wrong but the victims put themselves in there. They weren’t saints. They went with her. They wanted to party and they wanted to do drugs with her and have sex. It wasn’t like she put a gun to somebody’s head and forced them to go with her.

One of the victims’ cousins spoke before sentencing and called Barini’s actions inexcusable, according to the outlet.

“I understand she doesn’t have a good history,” said the cousin. “I don’t have a good history. It’s no excuse. She killed four people … She deserves what she gets now.”