Brooklyn dealer who gave Michael K Williams fentanyl-laced heroin faces between 5-40 years prison

A Brooklyn drug dealer pleaded guilty Wednesday to providing 'The Wire' actor Michael K. Williams with fentanyl-laced heroin, causing his death.

Irvin Cartagena's plea to a charge of conspiring to distribute drugs that killed Williams in September of 2021 was entered in Manhattan federal court. 

Sentencing was set by U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams for August 18, when Cartagena will face a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and the possibility of as many as 40 years.

The famed actor, who also starred in films and other TV series including 'Boardwalk Empire,' overdosed in his Brooklyn penthouse apartment on September 6, 2021. 

Authorities said he died hours after buying the heroin from Cartagena on a Brooklyn sidewalk in a deal that was recorded by a security camera.

Irvin Cartagena's (pictured left) plea to a charge of conspiring to distribute drugs that killed actor Michael K. Williams (pictured right) in September of 2021 was entered in Manhattan federal court

Cartagena, 39, signed a plea agreement with prosecutors stipulating that the mix of heroin and fentanyl he sold Williams resulted in his death. His lawyer, Sean Maher, declined comment.

He was let back onto the streets without bail both times under New York's bail reform provisions. 

The drug charges were combined in August of 2021 and Cartegena avoided jailtime by pleading guilty to disorderly conduct, the Daily Beast reported. 

The ring Cartagena was involved with primarily focused on fentanyl and heroin-laced fentanyl as they sold the drugs outside their apartment, where Cartagena, known as 'Green Eyes,' met up with Williams on September 5, 2021, to allegedly sell him the drugs. 

Video surveillance captured the moment Cartagena handed off the drugs to Williams a day before the actor died.

The actor, who gained fame with as drug dealer Omar Little in The Wire, was found the following day by his nephew unconscious and facedown in the living room of Williams' Williamsburg apartment. He was declared dead by medics who rushed to the scene. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, who is not related to the actor, said in a statement that the sale occurred in 'broad daylight in New York City, feeding addiction and causing tragedy.'

'In doing so, he dealt the fatal dose that killed Michael K. Williams,' Williams said.

The famed actor, who also starred in films and other TV series including 'Boardwalk Empire,' overdosed in his Brooklyn penthouse apartment on September 6, 2021

Actor Michael K. Williams, (left, dressed in black) was scene purchasing drugs from Irvin Cartagena (wearing blue pants) on September 5, the day before he died of a fatal overdose from heroin laced with fentanyl  

Footage from street cameras showed Williams coming up on the street where Cartagena and his associates allegedly ran their drug trafficking operation

Prosecutors said Cartagena and his alleged co-conspirators continued to sell fentanyl-laced heroin around residential apartment buildings in Brooklyn and Manhattan even after they learned of the actor's death. 

Another defendant in the case pleaded guilty Tuesday.

Williams' death came despite an investigation by the New York Police Department that placed a paid informant making controlled heroin buys on the same block where Williams bought drugs.

The day after, the informant went back to buy more drugs from the same group and recorded a conversation in which some of them talked about Williams´ overdose. One denied selling any drugs containing fentanyl.

Williams´ 'stick-up boy' character Omar Little on 'The Wire' - a fictionalized look at the underpinnings of Baltimore that ended in 2008 but remains popular in streaming - was based on a real-life figure.

He created another classic character as Chalky White in HBO´s 'Boardwalk Empire' and also appeared in '12 Years a Slave,' 'Assassin´s Creed' and other films.

In interviews, Williams had spoken about his battles with addiction.

Although Williams' fatal overdose was originally ruled an accident, NYPD Deputy Chief John Chell had instructed the 90th Precinct Detective Squad and Brooklyn North Narcotics Group, who were in charge of the investigation, to treat the death as a homicide.

Williams was discovered inside his penthouse apartment, located in the trendy Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg. The expensive complex is located on the waterfront and features sweeping views out over to Manhattan 

A swarm of police officers were also spotted on the scene, after Williams' nephew purportedly phoned 911 on September 6. They are pictured removing evidence bags from the actor's apartment 

According to the Daily Beast's investigation in the final day of Williams life, the actor drove off from Manhattan to Williamsburg on September 5.

Footage from street cameras showed Williams coming up on the street where Cartagena and his associates allegedly ran their drug trafficking operation.   

When he reached the apartment, Williams could be seen walking up to five men on the street, with one of them identified as Cartagena. 

Williams handed the man a wad of cash, and Cartagena could be seen counting the bills before reaching into a paper bag stashed beside a blue recycling can in front of the apartment. 

Prosecutors said that was when Cartagena handed Williams the heroin laced with fentanyl that would kill him the following day. 

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It can cause death when taken in high doses or when combined with other substances.

Detectives noted that the men appeared relaxed through the entire transaction, exchanging phone numbers and chatting, completely unaware that it was all being captured by cameras. 

'The building has these cameras pointing directly on them the whole day long,' Detective Mark Gurleski told Daily Beast. 

Cartagena, 39, signed a plea agreement with prosecutors stipulating that the mix of heroin and fentanyl he sold Williams resulted in his death. His lawyer, Sean Maher, declined comment

Prosecutors said Cartagena and his alleged co-conspirators continued to sell fentanyl-laced heroin around residential apartment buildings in Brooklyn and Manhattan even after they learned of the actor's death

Williams then drove home to his apartment, making no stops along the way. 

Detectives also noted that Williams appeared to behave oddly during his final hours, parking his car at a prohibited area at his residence despite neighbors describing him as 'responsible' and 'considerate.' 

Chell called it 'very uncharacteristic.' 

Police said their timeline for Williams ended just as he stepped off at his penthouse, missing a call from his nephew, Dominic DuPont, who checked up on his uncle the following day to find him dead.  

According to the investigation documents filed by Gurleski to the Department of Justice, police had moved in quickly on Cartagena, identifying him just a day later.

Investigators then purchased drugs from him on two separate occasions, once on September 8, and then again a week later on September 15. 

The drugs were handed off inside envelopes that read 'AAA Insurance' matching the one that was found on Williams when he died. 

Investigators then built up their case against Cartagena, seeking out his fellow co-conspirators before finally arresting them on Tuesday.