Wednesday federal authorities announced four men have been arrested and charged in connection to the overdose death of actor Michael K. Williams.
Hector Robles, Luis Cruz, Carlos Macci and Irvin Cartagena were arrested Tuesday and charged with narcotics conspiracy for distributing the fentanyl-laced heroin that led to Williams’ fatal overdose last September.
According to federal prosecutors, Cartagena, 39, of Brooklyn, allegedly sold the drugs to Williams. He was arrested in Puerto Rico.
Cartagena’s co-conspirators Robles, 57, Cruz, 56, and Macci, 70, all from Brooklyn, were also arrested on Tuesday in New York.
Officials claim the men were part of a drug trafficking organization operating in an apartment in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. The ring is said to have primarily focused on fentanyl and heroin-laced fentanyl. Cartagena, known on the streets as ‘Green Eyes,’ met up with Williams at the apartment on September 5, 2021, to allegedly sell him the fatal drugs. Surveillance footage obtained by investigators showed their exchange.
The feds say the men continued selling the deadly drugs even after learning of Williams’ death.
“This is a public health crisis. And it has to stop. Deadly opioids like fentanyl and heroin don’t care about who you are or what you’ve accomplished. They just feed addiction and lead to tragedy,” US Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement announcing the arrests.
