The four men charged in Michael K. Williams’ death plead not guilty

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The four men arrested in connection with the death of well-known actor Michael K. Williams, who played stick-up man Omar Little in the pivotal HBO show The Wire, have all pleaded not guilty to their charges.

Irvin Cartagena, 39, Hector Robles, 57, Luis Cruz, 56, and Carlos Macci, 70, were all charged, according to Vulture, with one count of narcotics conspiracy resulting in death. Williams, 54, was found dead in his home on Sept. 6 after he overdosed on heroin laced with fentanyl, an extremely potent narcotic.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said the actor’s death highlighted an ongoing problem with drug addiction in America.

“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,” the U.S. Attorney said.

Williams is currently still on TV in the Vice TV show Black Market, which ironically explores the world of trading illicit things. The show was still being filmed when the actor died.

When defendants are arraigned they’re asked to enter a plea to the court. This is procedural and they can change their pleas later if they want to. The defendants face a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum of 40 years. Cartagena faces an additional charge “in connection with the narcotics conspiracy,” according to a State Attorney’s Office release.

Authorities say the four men knew about the actor’s death but continued to sell heroin laced with fentanyl anyway to people in the Manhattan and Brooklyn areas. They were discovered after authorities started an investigation into Williams’ death.