Two men accused of providing the fentanyl-laced heroin that killed the transgender activist and actress Cecilia Gentili have admitted distributing the drugs that caused her death, officials said on Monday.
One of the men, Michael Kuilan, pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn Monday morning to possessing and distributing heroin and fentanyl, according to a news release from the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York. The second man, Antonio Venti, pleaded guilty to the same offense in July, the release said.
Ms. Gentili, 52, was found dead in her Brooklyn apartment in February after taking a combination of drugs, court documents show. Her death prompted an outpouring of grief among members of New York’s L.G.B.T.Q. community, with more than 1,000 people packing the pews at a spirited celebration of her life at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
In addition to her work as an actress, which included a role on the television show “Pose,” Ms. Gentili was known for her advocacy on behalf of sex workers, transgender people and people with H.I.V.
Breon Peace, the U.S. attorney for New York’s Eastern District, called Ms. Gentili’s death “heartbreaking.” He said he hoped the guilty pleas would “bring a sense of closure” for her family and be “a warning that this office will be relentless in holding fentanyl dealers accountable.”
Peter Scotto, Ms. Gentili’s partner, declined to comment on the guilty pleas.
Ms. Gentili came to the United States from Argentina as an undocumented immigrant at 26. She endured homelessness, addiction and trafficking for prostitution and was arrested several times before being jailed at Rikers Island.
We are having trouble retrieving the article content.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.aratbet