A man accused of drug trafficking that led to the death of Michael K. Williams pleads guilty

A man accused of drug trafficking that led to the death of Michael K. Williams pleads guilty

The man accused of drug trafficking that led to the overdose and death of late actor Michael K. Williams pleaded guilty to the charges against him on Wednesday, according to court documents.

Irvin Cartagena, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of narcotics conspiracy resulting in death for allegedly selling drugs from August 2020 to January 2022, New York Southern District Court records show. According to NYPD, Cartagena was a member of a drug trafficking organization that frequented South 3rd Street in Brooklyn and often sold heroin spiked with fentanyl, which Williams, 54, had taken before his death.

Surveillance video and license plate reader logs show Williams driving on South 3rd Street and exchanging hands with Cartagena the day before he was killed, police said. An NYPD detective has repeatedly claimed that an undercover police officer bought drugs in Cartagena on South 3rd Street and that the product packaging featured various logos, including Gatorade, IKEA and AAA Insurance.

According to the complaint, when Williams was found unconscious in his apartment in September 2021, police also found a paper bag, or "glassine," with the AAA logo on it. NYPD lab tests found heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, lidocaine and caffeine in narcotics.

“Despite learning that Williams died after purchasing the DTO product, the DTO continued to sell fentanyl-spiked heroin, in broad daylight, in the middle of residential buildings,” the complaint states. Growing up in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn, Williams was best known for his role as Omar Little on The Wire, HBO's hit series in the 2000s that depicted the underworld of drugs and crime in Baltimore.

Williams later appeared in the series Boardwalk Empire, The Night Of and Lovecraft Country. During his career, he has earned five Emmy nominations. Williams was open about his personal struggles with drug addiction.