4 folks have been arrested in reference to the overdose loss of life of actor Michael Okay. Williams, the U.S. Lawyer's Workplace for the Southern District of New York mentioned in a press launch Wednesday. Williams died final 12 months on the age of 54.
Irvin Cartagena, 39; Hector Robles, 57; Luiz Cruz, 56; and Carlos Macci, 70, have been "every charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl analogue, fentanyl, and heroin," which carries a most sentence of 40 years in jail. Cartagena was additionally charged with inflicting Williams' loss of life in reference to the alleged conspiracy, which carries a most sentence of life in jail, the U.S. lawyer's workplace mentioned.
Cartagena was arrested in Puerto Rico on Tuesday, and can seem in federal courtroom there on Thursday. The three different defendants have been arrested in Manhattan on the identical day, and are scheduled to seem within the metropolis's federal courtroom on Wednesday, the U.S. lawyer's workplace mentioned.
Authorities recognized a drug trafficking group that had been working within the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn since August 2020. The U.S. lawyer's workplace alleges that the group sells "heroin laced with fentanyl and a fentanyl analogue" on the road and in an condo constructing.
That group allegedly offered Williams medicine the day earlier than he overdosed, with Cartagena allegedly executing the transaction. The interplay was caught on surveillance video, in accordance with the U.S. lawyer's workplace.
Williams, an Emmy-nominated actor finest identified for his function in "The Wire," was discovered lifeless at his Brooklyn house on September 6. He was sporting the identical garments seen within the surveillance video from the day earlier than, charging paperwork mentioned. The Medical Examiner discovered he by accident died of "acute intoxication by the mixed results of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine," and the U.S. Lawyer's Workplace alleges he used the fentanyl-laced heroin bought from the Brooklyn-based drug group.
In accordance with the U.S. lawyer's workplace, the 4 defendants continued to promote the medicine in Brooklyn and Manhattan after Williams' loss of life.
U.S. Lawyer Damian Williams known as drug overdoses a "public well being disaster" and vowed to carry these concerned to justice.
"Lethal opioids like fentanyl and heroin do not care about who you're or what you have achieved," he mentioned. "They only feed dependancy and result in tragedy."
Williams, who was well-known for enjoying Omar Little in "The Wire," had instructed NPR in 2016 that he typically struggled with separating himself from Little's character whereas filming and that Little's battle "was a bit too near house." He additionally instructed the outlet that he battled with dependancy whereas filming the present, noting that he was "in jeopardy of destroying the whole lot I had labored so arduous for."
Victoria Albert contributed reporting.