On Friday, Irvin Cartagena, a 40-year-old New York City narcotics dealer originally from Aibonito, Puerto Rico, received a ten-year prison sentence for his role in the demise of noted actor Michael K. Williams. Cartagena delivered fentanyl-spiked heroin to Williams, whose subsequent overdose proved fatal.
The sentencing was rendered by U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams, following Cartagena’s guilty plea in April to charges of drug distribution conspiracy.
In September 2021, Michael K. Williams succumbed to an overdose in his Brooklyn penthouse apartment, mere hours after purchasing the lethal dose of heroin from Cartagena. This transaction, which occurred on the streets of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, was duly recorded by a security camera.
Michael K. Williams was an acclaimed actor, perhaps best known for his role as Omar Little in the HBO series, “The Wire.” His portrayal of the maverick drug dealer robber left a significant mark on audiences. Williams, also a star of “Boardwalk Empire,” among other films and series, left a significant body of work in his wake.
Cartagena, who could have faced up to 40 years imprisonment, was granted a sentence of ten. Expressing remorse, he stated, “I am very sorry for my actions. When we sold the drugs, we never intended for anyone to lose their life.”
In spite of his own drug use, those who knew Cartagena described him as “helpful, humble and hard working.” Judge Abrams expressed hope that rehabilitation could steer him onto a more law-abiding, fruitful path.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams pointedly remarked in a statement that those selling the narcotics to Michael K. Williams were cognizant that another death had already resulted from the same drugs they were supplying.
Cartagena faced allegations of continuing to distribute the deadly fentanyl-laced heroin in Manhattan and Brooklyn following Williams’s death. Still, he eventually fled to Puerto Rico, where he was apprehended in February 2022.
Defence attorney, Sean Maher, insisted ahead of sentencing that Cartagena, himself a heroin user, sold drugs merely to sustain his addiction. He emphasized that the situation was a tragic but random one since there were others in the vicinity also selling the same lethal blend of drugs.
Prosecutors previously sought a minimum prison term of 12 years while the Probation Department suggested a 20-year term considering Cartagena’s 14 prior drug-related convictions. However, Judge Abrams deemed these recommendations excessively harsh, opining that the handed sentence was “severe, sufficient but not greater than necessary.”
