Four men have been charged in connection with the death of actor of Michael K. Williams, who died of a drug overdose last year.
The four men, who are believed to be part of a drug distribution organization, were arrested on Tuesday and are in custody; one defendant was arrested in Puerto Rico. The news was announced in a release Wednesday from U.S. Attorney Damian Williams and New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell.
The “Wire” actor died in September after ingesting fentanyl-laced heroin.
The four men are Irvin Cartagena, Hector Robles, Luis Cruz and Carlos Macci. According to court papers unsealed on Wednesday, Williams died from drugs sold by a drug trafficking organization (of which the four are accused of being part of) that has operated in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Michael K. Williams, a prominent actor and producer, tragically overdosed in his New York City apartment from fentanyl-laced heroin. Today, along with our law enforcement partners at the NYPD, we announce the arrests of members of a drug crew, including Irvin Cartagena, the man who we allege sold the deadly dose of drugs to Michael K. Williams. This is a public health crisis. And it has to stop. Deadly opioids like fentanyl and heroin don’t care about who you are or what you’ve accomplished. They just feed addiction and lead to tragedy. The Southern District of New York and our law enforcement partners will not give up. We will bring every tool to bear. And we will continue to hold accountable the dealers who push this poison, exploit addiction, and cause senseless death.”
NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said: “As these federal charges show, the NYPD’s narcotics and precinct detectives in Brooklyn North lived this case, never relenting in their investigation until they could bring a measure of justice to Michael K. Williams and his family. It is a level of dedication the NYPD carries out in every case, from beginning to end, in every instance where criminals peddle narcotics and prey on the innocent, and where people die from illegal drugs. I commend our NYPD investigators, working closely with their federal partners in the United States Attorney’s Office, in the Southern District of New York, for their work to clean up this long-embattled block in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and for their sustained commitment to follow every lead this case wrought, from New York City to Puerto Rico and back.”