NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The Wire co-creator sought a federal judge to release a drug dealer who was charged with the death of actor Michael K Williams. David Simon, 63, has written to the Federal District Court in New York to not punish Carlos Macci, 71, anymore for the tragedy, even though the journalist labeled the September 2021 death of the actor a "grievous tragedy". Simon has described Macci, who is scheduled to be sentenced later this month, as a vulnerable and unlearned individual who has himself battled drug addiction.
Simon further said Williams would have held himself responsible for his own fentanyl overdose death, rather than pointing fingers at the dealer who sold him the substance. "No possible good can come from incarcerating a 71-year-old soul, largely illiterate, who has himself struggled with a lifetime of addiction", the letter read according to New York Times. This means that if a judge listens to Simon, Macci can have a high possibility of getting freed from jail after a year and a half while awaiting trial. Prosecutors, however, have suggested a 10-year sentence.
Michael K Williams died in September 2021 in his Brooklyn penthouse after ingesting fentanyl-laced heroin. After his death, Carlos Macci was arrested in February of the following year alongside Hector Robles, 58, Luis Cruz, 57, and Irvin Cartagena, 40.
Who is Carlos Macci?
Carlos Macci is one of the perpetrators held responsible for the death of actor Michael K Williams. He is currently serving time behind bars but David Simon asked for the drug dealer's leniency, citing his age and long battle with drug addiction. He was one of the four men of a drug trafficking organization that operated in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn since August 2020.
Simon calls Williams "one of the finest actors"
Simon described the late actor who acted as Omar Little on his popular from 2002 to 2008, as "one of the finest actors with whom I have had the honor to collaborate and one of the most thoughtful, gracious and charitable souls I could ever call a friend." He said that although William's death was unfortunate, he would not blame Macci for the tragic outcome.
"Michael would look upon the undone"
"I know that Michael would look upon the undone and desolate life of Mr. Macci and know two things with certainty", Simon, who worked for The Baltimore Sun City Desk for twelve years said. "First, that it was Michael who bears the fuller responsibility for what happened." He also wrote Macci does not deserve to be imprisoned following his struggle of " a lifetime of addiction", adding that the dealer is "largely illiterate".
Simon was reportedly asked to write the letter by Macci's lawyer
Macci's lawyer, Benjamin Zeman, reportedly asked Simon to write the letter as a respected voice over the issue of drug addiction. "(Simon has) been such a thoughtful and eloquent voice about what the failure of the war on drugs has wrought", Zeman said. "And I knew of his relationship with Mr. Williams and all that Mr. Williams had spoken about this subject during the course of his life."
Surveillance footage from September 5, 2021, showed the alleged ringleader, Irvin Cartagena, selling the laced drugs to Williams. Macci was arrested as one of three other co-conspirators in connection to the actor's unfortunate death. Cartagena was arrested in Puerto Rico five months after Williams' death. He was previously arrested twice on drug-related charges but released under New York's woke bail reform policies. The criminal now carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison.
