Man Who Sold Michael K. Williams Fentanyl-Laced Heroin Pleads Guilty, Faces Up To 40 Years In Prison

The drug dealer who sold actor Michael K. Williams the fentanyl-laced heroin that took his life has pleaded guilty.

Irvin Cartagena, known as “Green Eyes,” pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl, according to the U.S. District Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. 

Authorities believe he was selling drugs from at least August 2020 to January 2022. Cartagena was arrested in February 2022, along with Hector Robles, Luis Cruz, and Carlos Macci. All men are said to have played a role in Williams’ death. According to CBS News, one day before the actor died, Cartagena was captured on surveillance video nearby Williams’ home making a “hand-to-hand” drug transaction. Other security videos showed the men selling Williams the drugs. After his death in September 2021, Cartagena and his crew were made aware of this and continued selling fentanyl-laced drugs.

Over the course of his career, Williams was open about his struggle with substance abuse. He’d been addicted to heroin for years, despite being a star on “The Wire” and “Lovecraft Country” and earning five Emmy nominations. Sadly, his nephew found him deceased inside his New York apartment on September 6th, 2021. An autopsy would later confirm that a mixture of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl was what killed him.

As part of Cartagena’s plea deal, he had to admit that he sold the drugs that killed Williams. At his sentencing, he could face anywhere from five to 40 years in prison.