Prosecutors charge woman with murder in Ultra Festival overdose death
The woman who supplied a 24-year-old woman with the pill that she overdosed on while attending the Ultra Music Festival in 2025 was charged with first-degree murder, Miami-Dade’s top prosecutor said in a Wednesday afternoon news conference.
Charlene Forti, 27, is accused of supplying the MDMA, better known as “ecstasy” or “Molly,” that caused the death of Jenniha Le, 24, on March 31, 2025. Forti is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center without bond.
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle held a news conference a week before Ultra 2026 kicks off on March 27 and touted the Florida law that allows a person who supplies controlled substances that lead to another’s death to be charged with first-degree murder.
Unlike in a regular first-degree murder case, prosecutors do not need to prove that Forti had an intent to kill Le.
Forti’s attorney, Richard Cooper, slammed the state attorney’s office charging decision as “selective prosecution.”
“We extend our deepest sympathy to the Le family,” he said in a statement. “This is a selective prosecution of a kind, gentle, young woman. The evidence solely consists of statements by self-admitted drug users who will say anything to save themselves. We regret that the State Attorney is using this tragedy as a way to make an example of Charlene and we look forward to an acquittal.”
Le was in town from Georgia to attend the music festival with her partner Hannah Nguyen. Nguyen, 25, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, alongside the accused drug runner, An Tan Ly, 26. Nguyen’s friend Carmen Lo, 25, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
Around 10:30 p.m. on March 30, 2025, Nguyen contacted Miami Fire Rescue, reporting that Le was in and out of consciousness at Bayfront Park. Le was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where she died of drug toxicity the following morning.
Before the music event, Nguyen’s friend Lo connected Nguyen with Forti — a “plug” or drug dealer, according to an arrest warrant.
Forti, text messages show, sold Nguyen an MDMA pill for $35 and also offered Nguyen two expired Adderall pills for free “if you’re willing to try it.” Forti, according to the warrant, said she “won’t charge you for this lol.”
Ly then delivered the drugs to Nguyen, the warrant says. Investigators reviewed Instagram messages that showed how they planned to find each other in the large event.
After Le’s medical episode, Nguyen texted Forti and asked her if she was sure the pill was MDMA.
“When I tested it, I got MDMA ...,” Forti said. “I can ask the guy who sold it if he had any other info.”
Two cases finished
Nguyen and Ly were arrested on March 12 and within a week, already had their criminal cases resolved, court records show.
On Monday, Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Zachary James ordered the pair to serve five years of supervised probation and gave withheld adjudications, meaning no criminal convictions will appear on their records.
Lo was arrested and booked into the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta on Tuesday. She awaits extradition to Miami-Dade.
On Wednesday, Forti was arrested, and Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Ellen Sue Venzer ruled she will have no bond and will remain in detention at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center until trial. A date has yet to be set.
This story was originally published March 18, 2026 at 6:35 PM.
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