Man responsible convicted to Michael K. Williams’ overdose death sentenced to 5 years in prison for drug dealing
A member of the Brooklyn crew that supplied Michael K. Williams with fentanyl-laced heroin, resulting in his fatal overdose, has been sentenced to five years in prison as of Tuesday. The actor’s untimely death remains a tragic reminder of the dangers of drug abuse.
In April, Luis Cruz, aged 58, admitted to a narcotics conspiracy charge for selling heroin and fentanyl-laced heroin with a Williamsburg-based crew. He was given the lightest possible sentence by Judge Ronnie Abrams in Manhattan federal court after pleading guilty. The incident was reported in a news article.
A team of four individuals have been held accountable for providing the drug dose that led to the unfortunate demise of Michael K. Williams, famously known for his role as Omar Little in HBO’s “The Wire”. The incident occurred on September 5th, 2021.
Known by his moniker “Mostro,” Cruz was confronted with a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years and a possible maximum of 40 years.
During his plea hearing on April 13th, Cruz admitted to selling drugs in order to support his own addiction and to make enough money to get by.
According to him, he deliberately ignored the fact that certain drugs he was promoting had fentanyl in them. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is extremely potent, with a strength 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin.
On the 6th of September, 2021, Williams, who was 54 years old, was discovered lifeless in his opulent penthouse situated in Williamsburg. The day before his untimely death, he was captured on surveillance footage purchasing drugs from Irvin Cartagena, another member of his crew. The transaction took place in front of an apartment building located on South 3rd Street near Havermeyer Street.
“Green Eyes”, also known as Cartagena, accepted a plea deal and was handed a significant sentence of 10 years in prison for physically providing the substance that caused the death of actor Michael K. Williams. This information was reported by the New York Post in August 2023.
In February 2022, he was arrested and brought back to New York to face charges after fleeing to Puerto Rico.
In July, Carlos Macci, also known as Carlito, received a sentence of only two and a half years, which is the most lenient sentence given in the case so far. This information was reported by the New York Post in an article about Michael K. Williams’ overdose case.
David Simon, the co-creator of “The Wire,” has requested the judge to show leniency towards Macci, the dealer who sold Michael K. Williams a fatal dose. Simon pointed out that Williams is the one who bears the majority of the responsibility for the tragic incident. He also emphasized Williams’ opposition to mass incarceration and the ineffective war on drugs.
Oreja, also known as Hector Robles, is the last of the four to be sentenced. He pleaded guilty to narcotics conspiracy and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison.
The hearing for his sentencing has been set for the 20th of October.
According to prosecutors, the crew didn’t shy away from selling drugs in plain sight, as they were actively engaged in the illegal activity from August 2020 until February 2022.
As of Tuesday, there has been no response from Cruz’s legal representative regarding the request for comment.
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