In the fall of 2021, “The Wire” and “Boardwalk Empire” star, Michael K. Williams, passed away due to a fentanyl-laced heroin overdose. The day before he was found dead, he had purchased the fentanyl- laced drugs in a “hand-to-hand transaction” directly from Irvin Cartagena, a member of a Drug Trafficking Organization in the Williamsburg, Brooklyn neighborhood. The interaction was recorded on a nearby security camera.
Thirty-nine-year-old Cartagena was arrested in February of 2022 along with three other men after New York Police sent in a paid informant to purchase heroin from the group. This week Cartagena pleaded guilty to numerous drug charges including conspiracy to distribute heroin. Prosecutors argue that “Cartagena sold fentanyl-laced heroin in broad daylight in New York City, feeding addiction and causing tragedy.”
His plea deal leaves him with a guaranteed sentence of at least 5 years in prison and a possibility of up to 40 years total. Official sentencing is scheduled for August 18th.