Drug dealer pleads guilty in death of actor Michael K. Williams
Gregory Robinson
Featured Image Credit: Steve Mack / Alamy Stock Photo / DOJ
The man who sold drugs to actor Michael K. Williams before he died of an overdose aged 54 has plead guilty.
Williams died at his home in New York after overdosing on a combination of heroin, cocaine, fentanyl and p-fluorofentanyl, the New York Chief Medical Examiner confirmed.
He was found unconscious and unresponsive by his nephew at his apartment on 6 September, 2021.
The actor’s death was ruled an accident and his death saw an outpouring of tributes from his famous collaborators, including director Spike Lee and The Wire creator David Simon.
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On Wednesday (5 April) a 39-year-old Brooklyn man pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute heroin, fentanyl and fentanyl analog, in the investigation into Williams’ death.
Irvin Cartagena, also known as 'Green Eyes', was part of a drug trafficking organisation that ran between August 2020 and February 2022 in Brooklyn, prosecutors said.
Cartagena and his associates sold the actor heroin laced with fentanyl and fentanyl analog. They continued to sell the heroin ‘in broad daylight’ even after knowing that Williams had died, according to a news release from the Justice Department.
Three other men have been arrested for allegedly distributing heroin laced with fentanyl.
In February 2022 Hector Robles, 57, Luis Cruz, 56 and Carlos Macci, 70 were arrested and Macci pleaded guilty to a lesser charge this week while the cases against Robles and Cruz are ongoing.
US Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement: “Irvin Cartagena sold fentanyl-laced heroin in broad daylight in New York City, feeding addiction and causing tragedy.
"In doing so, he dealt the fatal dose that killed Michael K. Williams. This Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold accountable the dealers who push this poison, exploit addiction, and cause senseless death in our community.”
Cartagena's guilty plea includes a minimum five-year sentence in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years, according to the Justice Department.
Known for his roles in The Wire and Lovecraft Country, Williams received heaps of praise during his lifetime for his work.
Former President Barack Obama once described Williams' The Wire character, a gay hitman, as his favourite character on the show.
The actor had been Emmy-nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his roles in When They See Us, The Night Of and Bessie.
Born in Brooklyn in 1966, he made his film debut in 1996 alongside Tupac Shakur in the film Bullet, going on to play a drug dealer in Martin Scorsese’s Bringing Out the Dead.
He also worked with various music icons including George Michael and appeared in Madonna’s ‘Secret’ music video in 1994.
After his death was announced, The Wire creator David Simon called Williams ‘a fine man and a rare talent’.