NYC drug dealer Irvin Cartagena is sentenced to 10 years prison for selling The Wire star Michael K. Williams the fentanyl-laced heroin that killed him
A New York City drug dealer has been sentenced to 10 years behind bars for selling The Wire actor Michael K. Williams the fentanyl-spiked heroin that killed him.
Irvin Cartagena, 40, of Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty in April to facilitating Williams’s September 2020 overdose, after the actor was found dead in his Brooklyn apartment the day after buying drugs in Cartagena in a deal that was captured on a security camera.
Before his sentence was announced, Cartagena said he was “deeply sorry” for his actions, adding, “When we sold the drugs, it was never our intention for anyone to lose their life.”
Cartagena’s conviction comes a month after fellow gang member Carlos Macci was given a 30-month prison sentence despite The Wire co-creator pleading for clemency in court. Two other accomplices, Luiz Cruz and Hector Robles, also pleaded guilty.
Williams famously portrayed Omar Little, a rogue drug dealer robber, in HBO’s smash hit The Wire from 2002 to 2008. In addition to his work on the critically acclaimed drama, Williams also starred in movies and other TV series such as Boardwalk Empire.
Irvin Cartagena (pictured) was named as the man who sold Williams the deadly drugs. According to reports, he has been arrested at least twice before for selling illegal drugs
Michael K. Williams died in September 2021 after buying and ingesting fentanyl-laced heroin from a New York street dealer. He rose to fame for his portrayal of Omar Little in HBO’s smash hit The Wire from 2002 to 2008
Williams, (left, dressed in black) was seen buying drugs from Irvin Cartagena (in blue pants) on September 5, 2021, the day before he died of a fatal overdose of heroin mixed with fentanyl
Williams’ death sparked a months-long investigation into a Brooklyn drug ring linked to the actor’s overdose, where Cartagena, known as “Green Eyes,” was determined to be the ringleader.
Before his conviction on Friday, Cartagena faced a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and could have faced up to 40 years behind bars.
U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams noted that those who knew Cartagena said he was “helpful and humble and hard-working” when he was not using drugs himself.
“I am hopeful that the treatment…it will help you move forward on a more productive and law-abiding path,” the judge said.
Despite his pleas that he “regretted” Williams’ death, prosecutors said Cartagena and others continued to sell fentanyl-laced heroin in Manhattan and Brooklyn even after Williams died, though Cartagena eventually fled to Puerto Rico, where he fled in February 2022. was arrested. .
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams also noted that those who took part in selling drugs to Williams already knew someone else had died from the drugs they were dealing with.
In a pre-sentencing defense, Cartagena’s lawyer Sean Maher said his client was paid for street selling heroin to support his own use.
“In a tragic moment, Mr. Cartagena was the one who handed the small pack of drugs to Mr. Williams — it could easily have been one of the other men there or nearby selling the same drugs,” Maher wrote.
“Sentencing Mr. Cartagena to double-digit prison terms will not bring back the beautiful life that was lost.”
Cartagena, known in Brooklyn as “Green Eyes,” was determined to become the leader of a drug ring that sold Williams the fatal cocktail.
In addition to his work on the critically acclaimed drama The Wire, Williams also starred in films and other TV series such as Boardwalk Empire
In September 2021, a medical examiner is seen outside the Williams apartment complex
Prosecutors alleged that since August 2020, Cartagena had been the leader of a drug trafficking organization operating in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn.
Their ring mainly focused on fentanyl and heroin-laced fentanyl as they sold the drugs outside their apartment, where Cartagena, known as “Green Eyes,” met Williams to sell him the drugs.
Video surveillance captured the moment Cartagena handed over the drugs to Williams, a day before the actor died.
The actor was briefly seen before handing a wad of cash to Cartagena, who then counted the bills before reaching into a paper bag stashed in a blue trash can in front of the apartment.
The actor was found unconscious and face down in the living room of his Williamsburg apartment the next day by his cousin. He was pronounced dead by medics who arrived at the scene.
The star’s death was initially thought to be an accident, but an investigation later revealed that Cartagena’s gang was responsible. Announcing the gang’s arrests, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said he was proud when he reiterated the importance of ending the U.S. opioid crisis.
“This is a public health crisis. And it has to stop,” he said.
“Lethal opioids like fentanyl and heroin don’t care about who you are or what you’ve accomplished.
“They only feed the addiction and lead to tragedy. The Southern District of New York and our law enforcement partners are not giving up.
“We’ll take every tool. And we will continue to hold accountable the dealers who push this poison, exploit addiction and cause senseless death.”
The Wire co-creator David Simon (center) said Williams (left) would have taken responsibility for his overdose death as he pleaded for leniency in the sentencing of another man, Carlos Macci, 71 last month associated with death
While Cartagena was determined to become the leader of the gang, 71-year-old Carlos Macci was defended by The Wire co-creator David Simon before being sentenced to 30 months in July.
Simon labeled the actor’s death in September 2021 a “serious tragedy,” but pleaded in a letter to New York’s Federal District Court not to further punish Macci for the tragedy.
He called for Macci, who was behind bars until sentencing, to be given time, as he described the elderly dealer as a vulnerable and semi-literate man who has battled drug addiction himself.
Simon also said Williams would have ultimately taken responsibility for his own death from a fentanyl overdose, rather than blaming the dealer who sold him the substance.
“No good can come from the incarceration of a 71-year-old soul, largely illiterate, who has herself struggled with a lifelong addiction,” the letter read, the newspaper said. New York Times.