Michael K. Williams' drug dealer sentenced to 10 years in prison
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The drug dealer who admitted to selling Michael K. Williams fentanyl-laced heroin in 2021 has been sentenced in connection to his role in the late actor’s untimely passing. As widely reported, Williams died in his Brooklyn penthouse of an accidental drug overdose at the age of 54.
The prolific Hollywood talent was captured by a security camera when he purchased the illicit substance from Irvin Cartagena on the sidewalk in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. Dominic Dupont, Williams’ nephew, discovered “The Wire” star on Sept. 6 during a welfare check. On Friday (Aug. 18), the 40-year-old drug dealer was sentenced to 10 years in prison for selling the tainted drugs to the actor.
“I am very sorry for my actions. When we sold the drugs, we never intended for anyone to lose their life,” said Cartagena before he was sentenced, according to ABC News. As previously reported by REVOLT, Cartagena is one of four men arrested by New York police in connection with the drug deal. He was charged with conspiring to distribute narcotics. His co-conspirators, who were identified as Hector Robles, Luis Cruz, and Carlos Macci, were also charged for their roles in the drug trafficking ring.
In April, Cartagena pleaded guilty to the charge. He faced a mandatory five-year minimum in prison and a maximum of 40 years. The other three men also entered guilty pleas. Macci, 71, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison. During his July sentencing, the elderly man was admonished for continuing to sell drugs after Williams’ death.
In the days leading up to the judge’s ruling, “The Wire” co-creator David Simon made a plea in hopes the court would show leniency on Macci. In a three-page letter, Simon wrote, “What happened to Mike is a grievous tragedy, but I know that Michael would look upon the undone and desolate life of Mr. Macci and know two things with certainty: First, that it was Michael who bears the fuller responsibility for what happened” and that “no possible good can come from incarcerating a 71-year-old soul, largely illiterate, who has himself struggled with a lifetime of addiction.”
Before his death, Williams’ work on-screen was being celebrated for his performance in HBO’s “Lovecraft Country.” Three days before the tragedy, he expressed excitement for his upcoming role in a George Foreman biopic.
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