A Huntington man accused of discarding a woman's body in a suitcase after she died in his apartment in September caused her death when he gave her a date rape drug and sexually abused her on video while she was unconscious, Suffolk prosecutors said Wednesday.

Ronald Schroeder, 42, pleaded not guilty to a superseding indictment charging him with two counts of first-degree criminal sex act, manslaughter, concealment of a human corpse and multiple counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance at an arraignment before acting Suffolk Supreme Court Justice Steven Pilewski in Riverhead. He was remanded to the county jail, where he has been held since his initial arrest Sept. 6.

Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Cappiello told the judge Schroeder applied a large quantity of the date rape drug GHB to the body of Seikeya Jones, 31, while filming with one of three cellphones seized from him when he was arrested at Penn Station after fleeing to New York City last year. He then sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious and fell asleep on top of her while she was face down on a pillow, the prosecutor said.

"That's when Ms. Jones takes her last breath," Cappiello said of the alleged videotaped assault.

Prosecutors said the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's office determined the cause of death to be asphyxiation and force of compression. Jones was also found to have "extremely high levels" of GHB in her gastric tissue, Cappiello said.

Jones' body was found by police outside Schroeder's Nassau Road apartment after receiving a report of a foul odor coming from the unit he rented. She was tucked into a fetal position, her wrists and ankles bound, prosecutors said. Police also recovered bungee cords.

Schroeder's attorney, Christopher Gioe, acknowledged "the severity of the charges" against his client in court, noting that even if nominal bail had been set, as it initially was, he would not have the ability to pay it.

Family members of Jones, who was nicknamed "Cheese" for her photogenic smile, attended Wednesday's arraignment, thanking law enforcement afterward for continuing to investigate the case and bring new charges.

"I'm so thankful that they took their time ... [with] the investigation to make sure this guy is off the streets and my sister's death is not in vain," her sister Shasia Correnthi told reporters.

Prosecutors said that in addition to the date rape drug, Schroeder was also in possession of methamphetamines at the time of his arrest. He has a previous conviction for criminal possession of a controlled substance and was on probation when he was charged in September.

Schroeder faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the sexual abuse charges, prosecutors said.

He is due back in court June 20.