A New York City drug dealer has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for providing fentanyl-laced heroin to actor Michael K. Williams, causing his death. Irvin Cartagena, 40, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute drugs and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams. Williams died of an overdose in September 2021 after purchasing the heroin from Cartagena. The transaction was captured on a security camera.
Williams was best known for his role as Omar Little in HBO’s “The Wire.” Cartagena faced a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 40 years behind bars. He expressed remorse for his actions and stated that he never intended for anyone to lose their life.
Prosecutors revealed that Cartagena and others continued selling fentanyl-laced heroin even after Williams’ death. Cartagena eventually fled to Puerto Rico, where he was arrested in February 2022. His defense lawyer argued that Cartagena was paid for his street sales in heroin to support his own drug use.
Despite prosecutors requesting a sentence of at least 12 years and the court’s Probation Department recommending a 20-year term due to Cartagena’s prior convictions for drug-related crimes, Judge Abrams deemed those recommendations to be too high. She stated that the 10-year sentence is severe but not greater than necessary.
