Drug dealer sentenced to 10 years in prison following Michael K Williams' death

19 August 2023 , 14:39

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Michael K Williams died in 2021

A drug dealer has been sentenced to 10 years in prison following the death of actor Michael K Williams.

The star of The Wire was found dead in his home in September 2021 and dealer Irvin Cartagena, 40, pleaded guilty to supplying the deadly drug. Despite facing up to 40 years in prison following his admission, a judge ruled on Friday that Cartagena must serve up to a decade behind bars - with a mandatory five years.

Cartagena was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams after pleading guilty in April to conspiring to distribute drugs. Before his sentence was confirmed, Cartagena apologised for his actions, saying: "When we sold the drugs, we never intended for anyone to lose their life."

Williams was best known for his role on The Wire (Getty Images)

The judge told him: "I'm hopeful that with treatment, ... it will help you move forward on a more productive and law-abiding path."

Prosecutors had initially requested a minimum least 12 years sentence, while the court's Probation Department had recommended a 20-year term after mentioning Cartagena's 14 prior convictions for drug-related crime.

'I ventured into Alcatraz after dark and was terrified by what I saw and heard'

Williams was found dead at his home in September 2021 at the age of 54 after he accidentally overdosed. Authorities said he died hours after buying the heroin from Cartagena on a Brooklyn sidewalk. The deal was recorded by a security camera.

Four people were arrested in relation to the overdose death of the star (Department of Justice)

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

Fentanyl is a powerful opioid that is used as a pain medication and is known to be highly addictive due to its potency. While the drug is similar to morphine, it is reported as being as high as 50 to 100 times stronger and can cause death if mixed with other substances or if too high a dose is administered.

Jamie Roberts