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Irvin Cartagena, one of the individuals responsible for selling a fatal dose of fentanyl-laced heroin to beloved actor Michael K. Williams, known for his iconic portrayal of Omar Little in “The Wire,” has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Cartagena was part of a drug trafficking operation in Brooklyn, with all four individuals involved pleading guilty, The New York Times reports.
Michael K. Williams, who had been battling drug addiction, tragically overdosed in his Brooklyn penthouse in September 2021. Authorities confirmed that Cartagena had sold him the heroin on a Williamsburg sidewalk, an exchange captured on a security camera. The actor passed away shortly after the drug transaction.
Appearing in Federal District Court at 40 Centre Street, Cartagena expressed remorse for his role in Williams's death through a Spanish interpreter. He stated, “I am very sorry for my actions. When we sold the drugs, we never intended for anyone to lose their life.”
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Several industry figures, including “The Wire” creator David Simon, and Williams's family had advocated for leniency in Cartagena's sentencing. They pointed out that Williams had always taken responsibility for his own struggles with drug addiction.
Cartagena faced a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of up to 40 years. While delivering the sentence, Judge Ronnie Abrams acknowledged that any of the three other men involved in the drug operation could have been the ones to provide the fatal drugs to Williams. However, she emphasized that Cartagena was aware that the heroin he sold was laced with fentanyl, while Williams was not.
