They provided lethal heroin to a trans icon. Now they’ll pay the price.

The two men who provided the narcotics that caused the death of trailblazing trans activist and actress Cecilia Gentili have both pleaded guilty to distributing the drugs.

Gentili, 52, died in her Brooklyn apartment from fentanyl-laced heroin that authorities say she received from the men, Michael Kuilan, 44, and Antonio Venti, 52.

Related:

Trailblazing trans advocate Cecilia Gentili dies at age 52

She appeared on the trans-led TV series “Pose” and founded the nation’s first health clinic for sex workers.

Prosecutors said Gentili was found dead in her bedroom in February from the combined effects of controlled substances including fentanyl, xylazine (a vetrinary sedative), cocaine and heroin. The heroin, laced with fentanyl, was provided by Kuilan and Venti.

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On Monday, Kuilan on Monday pleaded guilty to possession and possession with intent to distribute both of the drugs, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York. Kuilan also pleaded guilty to a charge of gun possession following an earlier conviction that barred him from carrying a firearm.

Venti pleaded guilty to narcotics possession in July.

Text messages, cell site data, and other evidence revealed that Venti sold the fentanyl and heroin mixture to Gentili on February 5, 2024, and that Kuilan supplied Venti with the lethal narcotics. 

As part of their plea agreements, Kuilan and Venti agreed that they caused Gentili’s death. In addition, law enforcement searched an apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn belonging to Kuilan and found hundreds of baggies of fentanyl, as well as a handgun and ammunition.

“The perpetrators of the tragic poisoning of Cecilia Gentili, a prominent leader of the New York transgender community, have now both admitted their guilt in selling the lethal drugs that have caused this heartbreaking death,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. “These drugs, heroin and fentanyl, have caused so much pain throughout our community.  I hope this case will bring a sense of closure to Gentili’s family and serve as a warning that this Office will be relentless in holding fentanyl dealers accountable.”

“While these guilty pleas can’t undo the tragic loss,” Peace added, “it sends a message that we will do everything we can to make sure those responsible for drug related deaths face the consequences for their actions, and the families of those who lost their lives receive justice.”

Gentili’s death shocked the transgender community in New York, where she received an outpouring of grief from local prominent figures, including nightlife legend Amanda Lepore and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), as well as her fellow cast members on the trans-centered TV series Pose.

The Argentina native was honored with a memorial service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, attended by over a thousand mourners. The joyous and “scandalous” service earned condemnation from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York City.

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