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A 72-year-old man has been sentenced in connection to the overdose death of actor Michael K. Williams. As The Shade Room previously reported, three additional suspects were also arrested and charged with the crime. However, they are currently awaiting sentencing.
Williams passed away in September 2021. Since then, his death has been connected to an accidental overdose of fentanyl-laced heroin.
According to NBC News, Carlos Macci was sentenced to 30 months in prison on Tuesday. The 72-year-old is the first suspect to receive his sentencing in the case.
In addition to the two and a half years in prison, Macci will serve three years of supervised release. The first year of his prison release will reportedly be served in an “inpatient drug treatment facility,” as per NBC News.
Before his sentencing was announced, the 72-year-old reportedly apologized to U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams.
“I would like to say, your honor, I’m sorry for what has happened.”
Initially, it was argued by Macci’s lawyer, Benjamin Zeman, for the 72-year-old to receive “a sentence of time served.” Zeman reportedly cited Macci’s “advanced age” and struggle with drug addiction as jurisdiction.
“Mr. Macci was on that block [for] the exact same reason [Williams was there]… He was there to get drugs… An additional term of incarceration won’t help Mr. Macci or Mr. Williams, and certainly won’t prevent the next overdose.”
Additionally, NBC News reports that David Simon, the co-creator of HBO’s ‘The Wire’ and close friend of Michael K. Williams, spoke out advocating for a lesser sentence for Macci.
“No possible good can come from incarcerating a (72-year-old) soul, largely illiterate, who has himself struggled with a lifetime of addiction and who has not engaged in street-level sales of narcotics with ambitions of success and profit but rather as someone caught up in the diaspora of addiction himself. Michael would look at Mr. Macci and hope… that this moment in which he finds himself might prove redemptive, that his remaining years might amount to something more, and that by the grace of love and leniency, something humane and worthy might be rescued from the tragedy.”
However, prosecutors reportedly advocated for Maci to receive at least four years in prison, citing his “more than 20 prior convictions,” all related to drug offenses.
“They had absolutely no deterrent effect,” Micah Fergenson, U.S. attorney’s office prosecutor for Southern New York, explained. “It’s the unusual case where a lengthier term of incarceration [could] benefit the defendant.”
According to the outlet, Dominic Dupont, the actor’s nephew, was also present at Tuesday’s court proceeding and shared some words ahead of Macci’s sentencing.
“I’m really hopeful that this will be an opportunity for people to see and understand the impacts their decisions will have on people.”
Dupont also shared his reaction to Macci’s sentencing.
“Today was a sad day. There are no winners here…
We lost an amazing human being.”
As The Shade Room previously reported, Irvin Cartagena, 39, pleaded guilty to “one count of conspiring to distribute drugs” to Williams in April. Cartagena reportedly faces a minimum of five years in prison. However, he can be sentenced to up to forty years.
According to PEOPLE, Cartagena will be sentenced on August 18. The remaining defendants, Hector Robles, and Luis Cruz, will receive their sentence on September 26.
