Two people have pleaded guilty to distributing the fentanyl-laced heroin that murdered prominent New York City transgender activist Cecilia Gentili earlier this year, federal authorities announced on Monday.
Michael Kuilan, 44, pled guilty on Monday in Brooklyn federal court to distributing and possessing heroin and fentanyl with the intent to distribute, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. Antonio Venti, 52, pleaded guilty to the same offense in July.
According to authorities, the guys admitted to causing Gentili’s death as part of their plea pleas. Text messages, cell site data, and other evidence indicated that Kuilan, a Brooklyn resident, provided drugs to Venti, a Long Island resident, who then sold them to Gentili.
Law enforcement officers searching Kuilan’s residence discovered hundreds of tiny fentanyl packets, a firearm, and ammunition.
“While these guilty pleas cannot undo the tragic loss of transgender rights activist Cecelia Gentili, they send a message that we will do everything in our power to ensure that those responsible for drug-related deaths face the consequences of their actions and the families of those who died to receive justice,” said Frank Tarentino, special agent in charge of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York office.
Gentili was a former sex worker who became a prominent champion for other transgender individuals, sex workers, and HIV patients. She also appeared in the FX television series “Pose,” which portrayed the underground ballroom dance culture in the 1980s and 1990s.
Her well-attended funeral at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan sparked resentment among some in the Catholic community, including the church’s pastor.
Gentili was discovered dead in her bedroom on February 6, one day after acquiring cocaine from Venti. Prosecutors say the 52-year-old Brooklyn resident died from a combination of fentanyl, heroin, xylazine, and cocaine.
Kuilan is set to be sentenced in January, while Venti will be punished next month. Lawyers for the two men did not immediately respond to emails for comment Monday.