ActorMichael K. Williams, who may have been best known for his unforgettable role as Omar in the hit HBO seriesThe Wire, passed away in 2021 at the age of 54. A subsequent autopsy found that Williams had died of an overdose after ingesting heroin that had been laced with fentanyl. Four men were criminally charged when police looked into who sold Williams the deadly drug, and that includes Carlos Macci. The 71-year-old pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute narcotics in April and will be sentenced for the crime later this month. The court’s probation office is recommending a 10-year sentence.
PerBBC News,The Wireco-creatorDavid Simonwrote a three-page letter to the judge that was filed by Macci’s attorney this week. In the letter, Simon pleads for leniency to be given to Macci, arguing that this is what Williams would have wanted. That’s because the late actor was someone who “believed in redemption,” and as a friend who knew him very well, Simon feels confident that Williams would have fought against Macci’s incarceration.
“No possible good can come from incarcerating a 71-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,” Simon writes in part. “[Williams] fought hard for his own and for everyone in Baltimore, Brooklyn and everywhere else he encountered. He would fight for Mr Macci.”
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Michael K. Williams Wouldn’t Want Macci to Be Incarcerated
According to police, Macci and three other members of a drug-trafficking group sold Williams heroin laced with fentanyl, noting that the dealers continued to sell the laced heroin even after knowing about the actor’s overdose. Following a police investigation, Macci was jailed in 2022 and has been behind bars ever since. His attorney is asking for Macci to be released for time served, and Simon’s letter has been included with that request. If granted, Macci would be released after spending one and a half years in jail.
Williams' issues with addiction were well-known, as he had publicly spoken about his struggles. Simon says that Williams would only hold himself responsible for his overdose, as he knew about the dangers of heavy drug use when he bought and used the heroin. Because he knows this about Williams, Simon says he felt compelled to stress this point in his letter.
“It is this attitude - coupled with Michael’s publicly stated opposition to mass incarceration and the drug war… that convinces me that he would want me to write this letter,” Simon said.
Along with his role inThe Wire, Williams was also known for starring in the HBO seriesBoardwalk Empire. He’s also appeared in films likeRobocop,The Purge: Anarchy,Ghostbusters, andAssassin’s Creed. One of his final roles wasappearing alongside Letitia Wright and Jamie Bell in the Western dramaSurrounded, which was released on Digital last month.
