A drug dealer has pleaded guilty to selling fentanyl-laced heroin to The Wire actor Michael K Williams, leading to his death.
Irvin Cartagena “sold fentanyl-laced heroin in broad daylight in New York City” and “dealt the fatal dose that killed Michael K Williams”, said District Attorney Damian Williams in a statement.
Cartagena faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, with the possibility of up to 40 years behind bars, after signing a plea agreement stipulating the mix he sold caused the actor's death.
Williams, who starred as Omar Little in the acclaimed television series, died of an accidental drug overdose in September 2021.
The 54-year-old, who played a Baltimore stickup man in the groundbreaking show, was found dead in his apartment in New York.
Cartagena was among four men charged in February with conspiracy to distribute the tainted heroin that killed Williams.
Prosecutors said the co-conspirators “continued to sell fentanyl-laced heroin in broad daylight” for several months near residential apartment buildings in Brooklyn and Manhattan, even after they learnt of the actor's death.
Fentanyl is a synthetic and extremely potent opioid, about 50 times stronger than heroin. The US Drug Enforcement Administration has called it the “deadliest drug threat facing this country”.
Cartagena, who also went by the name “Green Eyes”, was arrested in Puerto Rico in early February, a day before the other three men were taken into custody in Manhattan.
The New York Police Department sent an undercover informant to buy drugs from the group and recorded a conversation in which one denied selling fentanyl-laced drugs, though tests detected both heroin and fentanyl in the substances, prosecutors said.
The Emmy-nominated actor died from “acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine,” New York's chief medical examiner ruled.
Williams had been hailed for his role in The Wire, in which he played a gay armed robber who specialised in holding up drug dealers.
He was also well known for the role of Albert “Chalky” White on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire.
His work attracted the attention of a future president, with then-senator Barack Obama calling Omar “a fascinating character”.
The actor had spoken openly of his past struggles with drug addiction and had told US media that he had spent much of his earnings from The Wire on narcotics.
West Indies v India - Third ODI
India 251-4 (50 overs)
Dhoni (78*), Rahane (72), Jadhav (40)
Cummins (2-56), Bishoo (1-38)
West Indies 158 (38.1 overs)
Mohammed (40), Powell (30), Hope (24)
Ashwin (3-28), Yadav (3-41), Pandya (2-32)
India won by 93 runs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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Favourite piece of music: Verdi’s Requiem. It’s awe-inspiring.
Biggest inspiration: My father, as I grew up in a house where music was constantly played on a wind-up gramophone. I had amazing music teachers in primary and secondary school who inspired me to take my music further. They encouraged me to take up music as a profession and I follow in their footsteps, encouraging others to do the same.
Favourite book: Ian McEwan’s Atonement – the ending alone knocked me for six.
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
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- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
