Dealer Who Sold Actor Michael K. Williams Fatal Dose Of Heroin Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison

 A man was sentenced to ten years in prison over the sale of fentanyl-laced heroin that led to the death of “The Wire” actor Michael K. Williams.

Irvin “Green Eyes” Cartagena is originally from Puerto Rico. He received the sentence, including five years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and fentanyl analogue, according to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

The court found that Cartagena, 40, distributed the fentanyl-laced heroin that resulted in Williams’ overdose death after surveillance footage showed him handing drugs to the actor the day before he was discovered dead. He was one of four men charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and other drugs.

“Michael K. Williams tragically lost his life after using the drugs sold to him by Cartagena. Although their product had already claimed one life, Cartagena and his co-conspirators continued to sell potentially lethal fentanyl-laced heroin,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement.

“This office will tenaciously continue our enforcement efforts against unscrupulous drug dealers who distribute poison and exacerbate the scourge of the fentanyl epidemic,” it went on.

Cartagena returned to Puerto Rico after Williams died but was located and arrested in February 2022.

The actor was discovered dead in his Manhattan apartment in September 2021. The medical examiner ruled he died from “acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine,” as The Daily Wire previously reported. 

 

Fentanyl-laced drugs are leading to more overdose deaths. 

New York City’s Department of Health noted that “fentanyl — an opioid 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine —was detected in 80% of drug overdose deaths in New York City in 2021 and was the most common substance involved in overdose deaths for the fifth year in a row.”

“This is a public health crisis. And it has to stop,” U.S. Attorney Williams said in February 2022 as part of a statement on Williams’ death. “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. 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.”