Four men have been arrested in connection to the death of actor and producer Michael K. Williams.
On Wednesday, Feb. 2, the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced that the men were arrested for allegedly selling Williams the fentanyl-laced heroine that led to his overdose in September.
Known for his work on The Wire and Lovecraft Country, Williams died of acute intoxication from the "combined effects of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine" in September, the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed to E! News. He was 54.
Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Keechant Sewell, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department, announced in a Feb. 2 press release that one man has been charged with distributing fentanyl-laced heroin that "resulted" in Williams' death. Listed as "co-conspirators," three other men were charged as "members of the fentanyl and heroin conspiracy" in a separate complaint unsealed on Wednesday, Feb. 2, per the release.
The Department of Justice said a drug trafficking organization sold heroin laced with fentanyl and "a fentanyl analogue" in front and inside of an apartment building in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, New York.
Sharing surveillance video screenshots, they alleged that members of the drug crew sold the Boardwalk Empire actor heroin which was laced with fentanyl around Sept. 5, 2021, which ultimately led to his death.
The U.S. Attorney said in a press statement, "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."
He added, "The Southern District of New York and our law enforcement partners will not give up. We will bring every tool to bear. And we will continue to hold accountable the dealers who push this poison, exploit addiction, and cause senseless death."
Prior to his death, Williams was open about his struggles with addiction, which began when he was a teenager. In a New York Times interview in 2017, he shared that most of the money that he had earned from his time on The Wire was spent on drugs.
"Addiction doesn't go away," the actor said at the time. "It's an everyday struggle for me, but I'm fighting."
The defendants are currently in custody. E! News has not reached out for comment because no lawyer information was available.