The man accused of selling fentanyl-laced heroin to The Wire actor Michael K. Williams pleaded guilty Wednesday in New York.
Irvin Cartagena, 39, entered a guilty plea to one count of “conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl analogue, fentanyl, and heroin,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said in a news release.
Known on the streets as “green eyes,” Cartagena allegedly sold the drugs to Williams in a “hand-to-hand transaction” in Brooklyn on Sept. 5, 2021, the day before the actor died.
“Irvin Cartagena sold fentanyl-laced heroin in broad daylight in New York City, feeding addiction and causing tragedy,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement. “In doing so, he dealt the fatal dose that killed Michael K. Williams.”
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Cartagena was arrested last year after a lengthy investigation that included surveillance footage.
The Justice Department said he was part of a “drug trafficking organization” operating in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood.
According to prosecutors, Cartagena continued selling drugs up until his arrest.
He was one of four men taken into custody in connection with the actor’s death in February 2022, as previously reported. The other men were identified as Hector Robles, 57, Luis Cruz, 56, and Carlos Macci, 70.
Macci pleaded guilty to narcotics conspiracy earlier this week and will be sentenced in July, NBC News reported.
Cartagena faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced in August.
Best known for his role as Omar Little on The Wire, Williams was found dead on Sept. 6, 2021 at his New York City apartment. The actor also had roles on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, HBO’s Lovecraft Country, the TV biopic Bessie, and Ava DuVernay’s Netflix miniseries When They See Us.
The coroner’s office concluded that his death was caused by an accidental overdose due to a lethal combination of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine in his system.
