The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams announced that Irvin Cartagena pled guilty in court Wednesday to conspiring to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and fentanyl analogue.
Cartagena “dealt the fatal dose that killed Michael K. Williams,” according to the attorney. Michael K. Williams was found dead as a result of an accidental fentanyl overdose in his Brooklyn apartment Sep. 6, 2021, according to a statement from the DOJ. “Irvin Cartagena sold fentanyl-laced heroin in broad daylight in New York City, feeding addiction and causing tragedy,” Damian Williams said. It is believed the drugs were sold to the famous actor September 5.
Michael K Williams death: Drug dealer pleads guilty to providing The Wire actor with fentanyl-laced heroin https://t.co/hEqt7kS0f5
— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 6, 2023
“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,” the District Attorney said in the statement.
As part of his guilty plea, Cartagena “stipulated that the substances he conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute resulted in the death of Michael K. Williams,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office told People.
The statutory minimum penalty is five years, and maximum penalty is 40 years in prison. Cartagena is due in court for sentencing on August 18, and is just one of several individuals brought up on charges in relation to the actor’s death. (RELATED: Judge Issues Arrest Warrant For Kodak Black After He Tested Positive For Fentanyl)
Cartagena was arrested along with Hector Robles, Luis Cruz and Carlos Macci, Feb. 2, 2022.The four men are believed to be part of a drug-trafficking organization known as the DTO. They have reportedly operated in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn between Aug. 2020 and Feb. 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated.