4 males believed to be members of a drug distribution crew have been charged within the overdose loss of life of actor Michael Okay. Williams 5 months in the past, authorities stated Wednesday.
All 4 have been arrested Tuesday and have been in custody based mostly on felony complaints in Manhattan federal court docket, together with one defendant who was arrested in Puerto Rico, in keeping with a information launch from U.S. Lawyer Damian Williams and New York Metropolis Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell.
Three defendants have been scheduled to make preliminary appearances in Manhattan federal court docket to face narcotics conspiracy expenses alleging the distribution of fentanyl-laced heroin that resulted within the loss of life of Williams, who gained fame taking part in Omar Little on “The Wire.”
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New York Metropolis’s health worker earlier dominated that Williams, 54, died of acute drug intoxication Sept. 6. He was discovered lifeless by members of the family in his penthouse house. At the moment, the health worker’s workplace dominated Williams’ loss of life an accident.
The U.S. lawyer stated the crimes and expenses resulted from a “public well being disaster.”
“And it has to cease. Lethal opioids like fentanyl and heroin don’t care about who you’re or what you’ve achieved. They simply feed habit and result in tragedy,” the prosecutor stated.
Sewell stated police detectives in Brooklyn “lived this case, by no means relenting of their investigation till they might carry a measure of justice to Michael Okay. Williams and his household.”
In line with court docket papers, Williams’ loss of life resulted from medicine offered by a drug trafficking group that has operated since not less than August 2020 in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood.
FILE – Actor Michael Okay. Williams poses for a portrait on the Beverly Hilton in the course of the 2016 Tv Critics Affiliation Summer time Press Tour on July 30, 2016, in Beverly Hills, Calif. A federal prosecutor says 4 males have been charged within the overdose loss of life of Williams, who gained fame taking part in Omar Little on “The Wire.” New York Metropolis’s health worker earlier dominated that the 54-year-old Williams died of acute drug intoxication in September.
Chris Pizzello / The Related Press
Authorities stated members of the group offered the actor heroin laced with fentanyl Sept. 5.
The court docket papers contained pictures, together with one wherein defendant Irvin Cartagena could be seen executing the hand-to-hand transaction, authorities stated. They added that the screenshots have been taken from surveillance video.
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It was not instantly clear who would characterize Cartagena, 39, of Brooklyn, in court docket.
Authorities stated that the lads continued to promote fentanyl-laced heroin in broad daylight amid house buildings in Brooklyn and Manhattan even after realizing that Williams had died from certainly one of their merchandise.
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