May 23, 2015 11:24 AM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Of the five Wesleyan University students arrested in Connecticut for drug distribution charges, two are now facing federal charges.

According to the Associated Press, a federal grand jury indicted Zachary Kramer, 21, and Eric Lonergan, 22, on charges in relation to a batch of MDMA that sent 11 other students to the hospital in Feb. The federal charges include distribution of AB Fubinaca and conspiracy to distribute MDMA and AB Fubinaca, a synthetic cannabinoid known as "K2" or "Spice."

Authorities are trying to emphasize the dangers of party-drugs like MDMA, which is more commonly referred to as "molly." Like the Wesleyan case, what police called a "bad batch" can be extremely dangerous. One student hospitalized after consuming the drugs was in critical condition and had to have his heart restarted when it stopped beating.

"You are playing Russian roulette with your life when you take synthetic drugs," Michael Ferguson, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, told the AP.

The federal charges Kramer and Lonergan face carry maximum sentences of up to 20 years and fines of $1 million.

"Our hope is that this prosecution puts to bed the misperception that synthetic drugs are harmless party drugs," NBC Connecticut quoted U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly saying in a statement. "As the allegations in this indictment clearly show, these drugs are highly dangerous. Many of the Wesleyan students who overdosed were seriously ill and one student nearly died. The growth and evolution of synthetic drugs is a serious public health concern."

Another charge the two are facing is selling MDMA within 1,000 feet of a private school.

"Wesleyan remains deeply concerned about the events that occurred this past February as well as the broader problem of drug abuse. All of the students arrested in the February incident were promptly expelled from the University," a spokesperson for Wesleyan said in a statement. "The University has fully and comprehensively cooperated with local, State and Federal authorities at each step of their investigation and it will continue to do so."

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