Wire Actor’s Overdose: Elderly Drug Dealer Charged and Sentenced

UPDATE


Jul 26, 2023 1:00 AM CDT

Carlos Macci, 72, one of the men arrested in the overdose death of the beloved actor Michael K. Williams, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison. Macci pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing narcotics in April, according to a report from NBC News. Before being sentenced, Macci apologized, stating, “I would like to say, your honor, I’m sorry for what has happened.” In addition to his prison term, Macci will also serve three years of supervised release and undergo an inpatient drug treatment program. The judge opted for a shorter sentence considering Macci’s age, despite federal prosecutors requesting four years. One of the remaining three men involved in the case will be sentenced next month, while the cases against the other two are still pending, as reported by BuzzFeed News a few months ago.

Feb 2, 2022 6:45 PM CST

Four men have been arrested and face potential lengthy prison sentences for allegedly selling fentanyl-laced heroin to actor Michael K. Williams, resulting in his untimely death. Williams, famous for his role as Omar Little in The Wire, died in September from what was ruled an accidental drug overdose. The 54-year-old was discovered deceased in his New York City apartment. The arrested individuals, Irvin Cartagena, 39; Hector Robles, 57; Luis Cruz, 56; and Carlos Macci, 70, now face federal charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess fentanyl analogue, fentanyl, and heroin, according to CNN. If convicted, they could be sentenced to anywhere between five to 40 years in prison.

The Department of Justice states that Cartagena, who allegedly supplied the drugs to Williams, is additionally charged with causing the actor’s death as part of the narcotics conspiracy. This charge carries a potential sentence of 20 years to life imprisonment. Authorities claim to have caught Cartagena on security footage delivering the drugs to Williams outside a building in Brooklyn. The Associated Press reports that the law enforcement officials had been monitoring the men before Williams’ passing. Furthermore, vials of drugs purchased by an undercover officer days prior to the overdose incident had the same “AAA Insurance” label as the vials found in Williams’ apartment.

According to The Daily Beast, Cartagena fled to Puerto Rico following Williams’ highly publicized death. Nevertheless, the remaining three men continued to sell the same drugs from the same Brooklyn location, even utilizing the area next to garbage cans to conceal the narcotics. US Attorney Damian Williams expressed determination in holding these dealers accountable, stating, “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.” (Read more drug overdose stories.)