Two New York men formally confessed to their roles in the death of a prominent transgender activist, performer, and author.
Michael Kuilan, age 44, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing heroin and fentanyl in Brooklyn federal court Monday, Sept. 23, in the death of Cecilia Gentili.
It came weeks after Long Island resident Antonio Venti, age 52, of West Babylon, pleaded guilty to the same drug offenses.
According to prosecutors, Venti and Kuilan sold heroin laced with fentanyl to Gentili. NYPD officers responded to the 52-year-old’s Brooklyn home on Feb. 6 following a 911 call from her partner.
Gentili was found dead in her bedroom. An autopsy determined that she died from the combined effect of fentanyl, heroin, xylazine, and cocaine.
Text messages, cell phone data, and other evidence showed that Venti sold the fentanyl and heroin mixture to Gentili one day before her death, according to prosecutors. Kuilan was accused of supplying Venti with the lethal drugs.