On Wednesday, four men were charged in connection to the overdose death of Lovecraft Country and The Wire star Michael K. Williams.
The men, Irvin Cartagena, Hector Robles, Luis Cruz, and Carlos Macci were arrested on Feb. 1.
Robles and Macci appeared in Manhattan federal court the following day on Feb. 2, and Cartagena was scheduled to appear on Feb. 3 in Puerto Rico.
The men were charged for being part of the drug distribution group that sold narcotics to Williams. Surveillance footage showed the men provided a lethal blend of drugs to the actor, who overdosed shortly after buying heroin laced with fentanyl.
Cartagena, in particular, was seen handing Williams drugs on a Brooklyn sidewalk in the footage. He was reportedly charged for directly causing the 54-year-old’s death, which can result in a maximum sentence of life in prison. The three other men were charged with conspiracy, which can result in a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams announced the charges on Wednesday with New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell.
“This is a public health crisis. And it has to stop,” he said in a statement. “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.”
He added that he would continue the case until the four men were held accountable for their actions.
“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.”
The Brooklyn-born actor was found dead in his penthouse apartment in Williamsburg on Sept. 6, 2021. Medical examiners ruled the incident as an accident.
