Michael K. Williams’ Fatal Overdose Leads to Four Drug Arrests

4 individuals have been arrested on federal expenses stemming from the overdose dying of actor Michael Okay. Williams final September, the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace in New York introduced on Wednesday.

Irvin Cartagena, 39, is accused of promoting heroin laced with fentanyl to Williams in Manhattan on Sept. 5, the day earlier than Williams was discovered lifeless in his Brooklyn house. Three others — Hector Robles, 57, Luis Cruz, 56, and Carlos Macci, 70 — had been additionally arrested on a cost of heroin and fentanyl conspiracy.

Williams rose to stardom together with his efficiency as Omar Little on “The Wire,” and later appeared in “Boardwalk Empire,” “The Night time Of” and “Lovecraft Nation.” In interviews, he was candid about his struggles with dependancy. He was 54.

In line with the legal grievance, investigators had been capable of hint Williams’ automobile utilizing license-plate reader information, in addition to location information from his cellphone, and found that he had traveled to a location within the 200 block of South third Road in Manhattan the day earlier than his dying. Earlier in 2021, the New York Police Division had begun an undercover investigation of a drug-trafficking operation based mostly in an house constructing on that block, based on the grievance.

Investigators obtained surveillance pictures of the sidewalk on that block, which present Williams greeting a gaggle of individuals, together with Cartagena, based on the grievance. The grievance consists of a picture wherein a person recognized as Cartagena seems to interact in a hand-to-hand transaction with Williams. The 2 later appeared to alternate cellphone numbers, after which Williams left and returned dwelling, based on the grievance. He didn’t depart his house after that, and was discovered lifeless the next day in the identical garments as he was carrying within the surveillance pictures, based on the doc.

Investigators had been capable of determine Cartagena utilizing different surveillance pictures from a close-by retailer, matching a tattoo on his proper arm to a previous arrest picture, based on the grievance.

The NYPD had used undercover informants to conduct managed purchases of heroin glassines at that location previous to Williams’ dying. In line with the grievance, the glassines contained a brand for “AAA Insurance coverage.” The identical brand was discovered on glassines in Williams’ house, based on the grievance. The heroin obtained within the managed purchases was additionally laced with fentanyl, the grievance states.

Investigators continued to supervise managed purchases on the location within the weeks following Williams’ dying, based on the grievance.

Cartagena, in any other case referred to as Inexperienced Eyes, was arrested in Puerto Rico on Tuesday, and is predicted to seem in federal court docket there on Thursday, based on an announcement from federal prosecutors. Robles, Luis and Macci had been anticipated to seem in federal court docket in New York on Wednesday.

All 4 defendants face a cost of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin, which carries a compulsory minimal sentence of 5 years in jail. Cartagena can also be accused of inflicting Williams’ dying, which carries a 20-year necessary minimal.