A federal judge tasked with imposing punishment on the first of four men to be sentenced in connection with the overdose death of actor Michael K. Williams walked a middle line Tuesday between prosecutors’ requests for a long prison sentence and the actor’s loved ones’ pleas for leniency and treatment.
Judge Ronnie Abrams sentenced Carlos Macci to two-and-half years in prison and three years on supervised release. One of those years will be in inpatient drug treatment.
Williams’ nephew, Dominic Dupont, called it “a challenging day for anybody who loved Michael.”
“There are no winners here,” he said after the hearing.
But he added: “I believe that accountability and responsibility can live in the same space as empathy.”
Just before 2:30 p.m., Macci entered the courtroom in a khaki jail uniform, hunched over with a chain wrapped around his stomach, hands cuffed in front of him. He was mostly silent during the hearing, listening to headphones as an interpreter quietly translated the proceedings into Spanish.
When asked if he had anything to say, Macci quietly uttered one sentence.
“I would like to say, your honor, I’m sorry for what has happened,” the interpreter repeated in English.
Prosecutors have said Williams fatally overdosed on heroin laced with fentanyl that he bought on the street in Williamsburg in September 2021. Four men, including Macci, have pleaded guilty to federal drug conspiracy charges. Macci is the first to face sentencing.
Williams starred in the acclaimed TV show “The Wire,” playing Omar Little, a character who challenged stereotypes about the drug trade in Baltimore. The Brooklyn native, whose acting credits include a long list of other roles in award-winning shows and movies, also dedicated much of his life to advocating for criminal justice reform.
Federal prosecutors asked the judge to impose a sentence of at least four years, noting in court papers that Macci has sold deadly drugs for years, even after being convicted…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply