New York City drug dealer, Irvin Cartagena, was sentenced to 10 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams for providing actor Michael K. Williams with fentanyl-laced heroin, resulting in his death. Cartagena, also known as "Green Eyes," pleaded guilty in April to conspiring to distribute drugs. As part of a plea deal, Cartagena admitted that some of the drugs he sold led to Williams' fatal overdose in September 2021.

Williams, famous for his role as Omar Little in HBO's "The Wire," was found dead in his Brooklyn penthouse apartment the day after purchasing the drugs from Cartagena. Authorities revealed that the purchase was captured by a security camera on a sidewalk in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood.

Aside from his work on "The Wire," Williams also appeared in films and TV series such as “Boardwalk Empire” and received five Emmy nominations throughout his career. Cartagena, facing a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years, expressed remorse for his actions before the sentence was announced, stating that he never intended for anyone to lose their life.

According to U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, the drug trafficking organization responsible for supplying drugs to Williams had been operating in the Williamsburg neighborhood since August 2020. Prosecutors revealed that Cartagena and other members of the group continued to sell fentanyl-laced heroin in Manhattan and Brooklyn even after Williams' death. Cartagena eventually fled to Puerto Rico, where he was arrested in February 2022. Three other men were also arrested in Manhattan during the same month.

During the sentencing, Cartagena's lawyer, Sean Maher, argued that his client was paid in heroin to support his own drug use. Maher emphasized that Cartagena was just one of the members involved in selling the drugs and that sentencing him to a lengthy prison term would not bring back Williams' life. Prosecutors recommended a sentence of at least 12 years, citing Cartagena's prior convictions for drug-related crimes.

However, Judge Abrams deemed the recommendations too high and handed down a 10-year prison sentence with five years of supervised release. In her ruling, Abrams acknowledged that Cartagena had a history of drug-related crimes but expressed hope that treatment would help him turn his life around and adhere to the law in the future. The other members of the drug trafficking organization involved in Williams' death have also pleaded guilty and received sentences.

The tragic death of Michael K. Williams highlights the dangers of fentanyl-laced heroin and the devastating consequences of the ongoing drug crisis. The case serves as a reminder of the need for continued efforts to combat drug trafficking and provide support for individuals struggling with addiction.