Four charged over death of The Wire actor Michael K Williams
Four persons have been arrested in New York and Puerto Rico for allegedly supplying the drugs that actor Michael K Williams ingested before his death from an overdose.
Four individuals have been arrested over accusations of securing the drugs used by actor Michael K. Williams right before he overdosed.
Williams, most known for his role as Omar Little on HBO's The Wire. was discovered dead in his Brooklyn flat in September 2021.
The four men have been charged with drug conspiracy. The narcotics were tainted with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid blamed for thousands of drug deaths, according to police. A medical examiner has ruled that the 54-year-old's death was an accident.
Hector Robles, Luis Cruz, and Carlos Macci are among the suspects, who were all arrested on Tuesday and are scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
Irvin Cartagena was detained in Puerto Rico on Tuesday and is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
"This is a public health crisis. And it has to stop," US Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement announcing the arrests.
"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."
Surveillance footage of the guys reportedly selling narcotics to Williams on the street the day before he was found has been obtained by investigators.
They allegedly continued to sell the drugs at Manhattan and Brooklyn houses even after learning that their drugs had murdered Williams, according to authorities.