Former Rice footballer charged after allegedly giving Blain Padgett a deadly pill

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) –

A former Rice football player was arrested as part of the homicide investigation into the death of Blain Padgett.

Stuart "Mooch" Mouchantaf, 25, was charged with delivering a controlled substance causing death, a second-degree crime punishable by a term of imprisonment of five to 99 years.

Mouchantaf is accused of giving Padgett a deadly pill, whose body was found in his room by other players after being absent for a Friday morning training session, March 2nd.

RELATED: Blain Padgett, football star Rice Owls, dies

The Harris County Medical Examiner's Office concluded in June that Padgett, 21, died in his sleep as a result of the toxic effect of carfentanil, an analogue of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid analgesic.

According to court documents filed by prosecutors, Houston police investigators found that Padgett had bought pills in Mouchantaf, considering them to be hydrocodone. It turned out that the tablets were related to carfentanil.

A deadly amount of carfentanil is so small that it is invisible to the human eye. It was originally manufactured as an elephant tranquilizer.

"Buyers need to understand that when they buy these pills on the street rather than in pharmacies, they literally play Russian roulette," said District Attorney Paul Fortenberry. "These pills look like reality, but they are actually far more dangerous than cocaine or heroin and are much less expensive."

WATCH: What are fentanyl and carfentanil?

Mouchantaf was arrested on Thursday and questioned.

According to the list on the Rice website, Mouchantaf would be Katy.

He graduated from Cinco Ranch High School, where he started for three years for the Cougars. He has also participated in the Peer Assistants and Leadership Program, or PALS, from Cinco Ranch.

He signed with Rice University in 2012 after playing at Blinn Junior College.

On Friday, during his appearance in court, a judge fixed his bail at $ 250,000, because it is considered a risk of flight.

Police said Mouchantaf had bought a one-way ticket to Lebanon and had family there. He must return his passport and wear an ankle monitor.

RELATED: Blain Padgett, Rice Owls football star, died of a synthetic opioid, according to coroner's rules

The news of the cause of Padgett's death has rocked Rice University, in addition to Padgett's former coach, David Bailiff.

"I do not know if that makes things harder, but it opens them up again," Bailiff said. "Does that make you re-evaluate as a man, is there anything else you could have done, is there another approach we could have done?"

READ MORE: Blain Padgett, Rice Owls football star

Padgett's family spoke to Eyewitness News on Thursday about the last conversation they had with their son who injured his shoulder last fall and required surgery to end his season.

They said that he was determined to return to the field. They spoke with him again on March 1 st.

"We spoke on the phone between 45 minutes and one hour," said Mical, Padgett's father.

"That night was different – Blain was so excited for tomorrow, he had just been released from his operation," said Padgett's mother, Wyndi.

After discovering how their son died, the Padget say they decided to tell their story because they wanted to warn other families.

"Do not leave one day without telling your children and parents, and your brothers and sisters that you love them, because you never know, make good choices, you know, and be informed because I think Blain was aware of such choices as driving while intoxicated, but I think it's something quite new, at least that's new to us. " do not take anything from anyone unless a doctor tells you to. "Period." You do not know what's in it, "Wyndi said.

Carfentani is 10,000 times more powerful than morphine and 100 times more powerful than fentanyl.

Doctors say it's deadly because it causes the suppression of breathing by the brain.

A LITTLE PILL: Parents sound the alarm after the death of an American football star opioid

Rice University issued the following statement:

"We are deeply saddened by the latest developments in the investigation of the death of Blain Padgett, whose family remains at the forefront of our concerns.We would like to thank the investigators from the Houston Police Department assigned to this case for their hard work given the fact that charges have just been filed, any additional comments would be inappropriate at the moment. "

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