4 charged in the overdose death of Michael K. Williams
NEW YORK >> Four men face charges that they were members of the drug distribution crew that supplied a deadly mix of drugs to Michael K. Williams, the renowned actor from “The Wire” who overdosed just hours after buying fentanyllaced heroin in a sidewalk deal recorded on surveillance video.
All four were arrested Tuesday and are accused of distributing fentanyllaced heroin of the kind that caused the death of Williams, who gained fame playing Omar Little on the HBO series that portrayed drug crews like the one authorities say the four defendants belong to.
Three of the defendants are accused of belonging to the crew that sold to Williams and made initial appearances Wednesday in Manhattan federal court. A crew member accused of handing Williams the drugs, Irvin Cartagena, was also charged with causing the actor’s death and was arrested in Puerto Rico, authorities said.
His initial court appearance is scheduled for today in Puerto Rico, and it was not immediately clear who would represent him or who could comment on his behalf.
The arrests were announced in a news release from U.S. Attorney Damian Williams and New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell.
The U.S. attorney said the crimes and charges resulted from a “public health crisis.”
“And it has to stop. 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 prosecutor said.
New York City’s medical examiner earlier ruled that Williams, 54, died of acute drug intoxication Sept. 6. Relatives found him dead in his penthouse apartment. At that time, the medical examiner’s office ruled Williams’ death an accident.
But according to court papers, Williams’ death resulted from drugs sold by a drug trafficking organization known as DTO that has operated since at least August 2020 in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood.
Members of the organization sold the actor heroin laced with fentanyl Sept. 5, authorities said in a criminal complaint, with Cartagena handing Williams the drugs in a transaction captured on nearby surveillance video, screen shots of which were released by authorities.
The video showed that Williams met Cartagena and other people a block from his apartment the day before his body was found, according to the complaint.
Williams talked with the group, and one of the people placed his hand on Williams’ shoulder to show he recognized him, according to the complaint. Williams then appeared to speak with Cartagena, who walked around a row of trash cans, retrieved a plastic bag and handed it to Williams, the court papers said.