According to BuzzFeed News, Irvin Cartagena, the 39-year-old drug dealer accused of selling fentanyl-laced heroin to Michael K. Williams, which led to the actor’s overdose death, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and fentanyl analog.
In September 2021, Williams, 54, was discovered dead in his New York City apartment. The New York City Medical Examiner’s Office later determined that his death was caused by an accidental overdose. Williams was best known for his role as Omar Little in the groundbreaking HBO series The Wire.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced in February of last year that Cartagena and three other men had been arrested in connection with Williams’ overdose death. The three other men have been identified as Hector Robles, 57, Luis Cruz, 56, and Carlos Macci, 70.
Cartagena, who also goes by the moniker, “Green Eyes,” entered the guilty plea on Wednesday. “Irvin Cartagena sold fentanyl-laced heroin in broad daylight in New York City, feeding addiction and causing tragedy,” said US Attorney Damian Williams in a statement.
“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.”
Prosecutors said Cartagena belonged to a drug trafficking organization that plied their trade in Brooklyn between August 2020 and February 2022. Williams, in September 2021, is said to have purchased fentanyl-laced heroin and a fentanyl analog from Cartagena and the other accused men.
Prosecutors also said that though the accused men ultimately got to know about Williams’ passing after purchasing the deadly drug, they “continued to sell fentanyl-laced heroin, in broad daylight, amidst residential apartment buildings, in Brooklyn and Manhattan.”
Following their arrests, the men were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl analog, fentanyl, and heroin. However, according to BuzzFeed News, Macci entered a guilty plea to a lesser charge this week, while Robles and Cruz’s cases are still pending.
According to the Department of Justice, Cartagena faces a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years.
In a 2016 interview with NPR, Williams revealed that he struggled with addiction during his time on The Wire, but he eventually sought help from a New Jersey church.