Two men have been arrested and charged for allegedly distributing fentanyl-laced heroin that ultimately killed the late trans activist Cecilia Gentili, whose sudden death in February sparked a wave of grief across New York City’s LGBTQ community.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York on April 1 announced the arrests of 44-year-old Michael Kuilan of Brooklyn and 52-year-old Antonio Venti of West Babylon on three drug-related charges tied to Gentili’s Feb. 6 death: distribution of heroin and fentanyl causing death, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, and distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. Kuilan, meanwhile, faces a fourth charge of felony possession of a firearm. The four-count indictment was unsealed at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on April 1.
Gentili’s death in February mobilized community members who quickly organized a well-attended memorial service within 24 hours at Judson Memorial Church in Greenwich Village, where friends and loved ones reflected on fond memories and called on community members to continue their activism as a way to carry Gentili’s legacy into the future. A separate funeral service was also held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, but it became shrouded in controversy days later when the archbishop issued a statement condemning “scandalous behavior” at the funeral and claiming the Catholic Church was deceived.
Gentili, who was 52 and hailed from Argentina, became known in New York City for advocating on behalf of immigrants, sex workers, trans individuals, and others. She ran Trans Equity Consulting, a consulting firm, and worked for organizations ranging from GMHC to Apicha Community Health Center. She also made a name for herself by starring on shows like “Pose” and leading her own one-woman show, while also writing a memoir called “Faltas: Letters to Everyone in My Hometown Who Isn’t My Rapist.”
The April 1 announcement, nearly two months after Gentili died, represents the first time that her cause of death has been revealed. Authorities said police found Gentili dead in her bedroom after her partner called 911 on Feb. 6. She died due to the combination of fentanyl, heroin, xylazine, and cocaine, according to authorities, who cited text messages and cell site data as evidence that Venti allegedly sold the fentanyl and heroin to Gentili on Feb. 5 before Kuilan distributed the drugs to her.
“Cecilia Gentili, a prominent activist and leader of the New York transgender community was tragically poisoned in her Brooklyn home from fentanyl-laced heroin,” Breon Peace, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a written statement. “Today, the alleged perpetrators who sold the deadly dose of drugs to Gentili have been arrested. Fentanyl is a public health crisis. Our Office will spare no effort in the pursuit of justice for the many New Yorkers who have lost loved ones due to this lethal drug.”
Authorities also said they found hundreds of bags of fentanyl along with a handgun and ammunition when they searched Kuilan’s apartment in Williamsburg.
“Today’s indictment delivers a strong message to anyone who profits from poisoning our communities with illicit drugs: There are dedicated investigators, across multiple agencies, working tirelessly to disrupt your shameful industry by pinpointing the source of these unlawful substances,” NYPD Commissioner Caban said in a written statement. “It is imperative that we continue to hold distributors accountable for their callous actions. I commend the NYPD’s partners at the DEA and the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York for their ongoing commitment to this critical mission.”
