Four men believed to be members of a drug distribution gang have been charged in connection with the overdose death of Michael K Williams.
The Wire star, known for his role as Omar Little, was found dead at his home in Brooklyn, New York in September, with with his death later ruled as an accidental overdose.
Arrests were made in relation to his death on Tuesday, with all four now in custody.
US Attorney Damian Williams and New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said one arrest was made in Puerto Rico.
According to the Associated Press news agency, three defendants were scheduled to make initial appearances in Manhattan federal court to face narcotics conspiracy charges alleging the distribution of fentanyl-laced heroin that resulted in Michael’s death.
The US attorney said the crimes and charges resulted from 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,” the prosecutor said.
Ms Sewell said police detectives in Brooklyn “lived this case, never relenting in their investigation until they could bring a measure of justice to Michael K Williams and his family”.
According to court papers, Williams’ death resulted from drugs sold by a drug trafficking organisation that has operated since at least August 2020 in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighbourhood.
Authorities said members of the organisation sold the actor heroin laced with fentanyl on 5 September.
Authorities said that the men continued to sell fentanyl-laced heroin in broad daylight in apartment buildings in Brooklyn and Manhattan even after knowing that Michael had died from one of their products.
As well as his role in The Wire, Michael was known for playing Albert “Chalky” White in the drama Boardwalk Empire.
Throughout his career, he earned four Emmy nominations for his performances in Bessie, The Night Of, When They See Us and, most recently, Lovecraft Country.
His big-screen credits include the films 12 Years A Slave, RoboCop, Inherent Vice and Motherless Brooklyn.
Following the news of his death, Michael was remembered in tributes by stars like Idris Elba, Mariah Carey, Spike Lee and Viola Davis.