RIP

The guy accused of selling Philip Seymour Hoffman the heroin that killed him SWEARS he didn't do it -- but he wouldn't deny selling heroin to Hoffman in the past.

Robert Vineberg -- who did an interview with the NY Post from inside jail over the weekend -- says he hadn't seen Hoffman since last year ... long before the actor passed away.

If he had known Hoffman was in town the weekend he died, Vineberg says he would have tried to "save him" because he knew the actor had a serious heroin problem.

Which sounds like BS ... because when Vineberg was asked if he had ever dealt heroin to Hoffman in the months before the actor's death, Vineberg declined to comment. Nevertheless, Vineberg insists the heroin Hoffman injected immediately before his death was NOT from him.

As for Hoffman's drug use, Vineberg seemed to know a lot about it, claiming he's convinced Hoffman was using 10 bags of heroin a day.

A group of friends who were in treatment with Philip Seymour Hoffman are vowing to stay sober FOR GOOD following his death ... TMZ has learned.

TMZ spoke with a woman in rehab with PSH -- we kept her name confidential for obvious reasons -- and she says a bunch of people in rehab and Narcotics Anonymous with Hoffman made a pact after he died to not only stay sober from now on for themselves ... but also for Philip.

We're told his death was a "pivotal moment in their recovery" ... because they realized no one is invincible ... even rich celebrities.

Ashley Benson may THINK she's heroin chic ... but we're guessing the prevailing view is that she's heroin creep ... wearing this the day after Phillip Seymour Hoffman was buried.

The "Spring Breakers" star roamed around West Hollywood Saturday in a black T with the words "DJ Heroin" emblazoned on it.

It's especially startling ... because just a few days before she tweeted a pic of Hoffman with the warning, "Don't do drugs."

The 46-year-old actor has been outspoken about the shooting, and his campaign marches on ... Fox will be speaking at a remembrance dinner tonight -- just days after what would have been Martin's 19th birthday.

We're guessing he's happy the Zimmerman fight was 86'd.

Sad day in New York City Friday -- Philip Seymour Hoffman's longtime girlfriend Mimi O'Donnell and their 3 children just exited the Manhattan church where the actor's funeral just ended ... and it was emotional.

Mimi -- flanked by 10-year-old son Cooper, 7-year-old daughter Tallulah and 5-year-old daughter Willa -- exited the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola together moments ago.

Other famous attendees also found it difficult to contain their feelings -- Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Williams left together, both wearing dark sunglasses. Michelle held her hand over her mouth.

It's tragic ... Gyllenhaal was set to star in Hoffman's upcoming directorial effort "Ezekiel Moss" -- in fact, his involvement in the film was announced just days before Hoffman's death.

Williams starred with Hoffman in "Synecdoche, New York" in 2008 -- the same year her ex Heath Ledger also OD'd on drugs.

Philip Seymour Hoffman's funeral has just begun -- and the church is jam-packed with the late actor's famous friends ... including Cate Blanchett, Spike Lee, Louis C.K., Ethan Hawke, and Ellen Burstyn.

The private funeral service for family and friends is now underway at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in NYC -- the same church where Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Aaliyah's funerals were held.

All told, roughly 400 people were expected to attend the ceremony.

As we reported, 46-year-old Hoffman was found dead Sunday from an apparent heroin overdose. He is survived by his longtime partner Mimi O'Donnell and 3 young children.

A larger memorial service is in the works for later this month.

The mother of Paul Walker's 15-year-old daughter appears to have serious alcohol issues -- TMZ has learned, she was arrested for DUI in August and that wasn't her only one -- and it's a major reason why Meadow moved away from her mom to live with Paul.

Rebecca Soteros was first arrested for DUI in 2003 in Orange County. She pled guilty and was sentenced to 3 years probation.

History repeated itself last year, when Soteros was arrested again for DUI in Hawaii. That case is ongoing.

Sources close to the family tell TMZ ... Rebecca's drinking has been an ongoing issue for years. Paul's daughter Meadow called her famous dad in 2011 and pleaded to let her move to L.A. and live with him. He happily obliged, because we're told Paul and Rebecca had countless arguments for years over her drinking problems.

Philip Seymour Hoffman's family left their NYC apartment Thursday afternoon ... presumably to attend the actor's wake.

Mimi O'Donnell watched over the three kids she had with Hoffman as they made their way to the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home on Madison Avenue.

The wake will be held from 5 - 9 PM EST.

A funeral service will be held tomorrow at the St. Ignatius of Loyola Church on Park Avenue. The service will be small and private -- only family and close friends.

Philip Seymour Hoffman's recent and fatal path down the road of addiction was triggered by an innocent drink ... sources close to the actor tell TMZ.

Hoffman had been sober for 23 years prior to shooting "The Master" -- but during a wrap party in 2012, the actor succumbed to temptation ... and celebrated the movie with a drink ... which quickly became a couple of drinks.

Hoffman acknowledged to confidants ... the drinks opened the floodgates. Addictions experts all say one drink can destroy an addict's life ... and that seems to be what happened here.

Sources tell us Hoffman didn't begin experimenting with heroin until 2013, after he had already fully fallen off the wagon. We're told he had long been curious about the drug.

It started with snorting -- and last May, he quickly checked into rehab because he was terrified it would escalate to IV use ... which it eventually did.

Cops did NOT snag the drug dealer who was allegedly selling dangerous heroin to Philip Seymour Hoffman ... sources tell TMZ.

We know the informant -- who armed cops with the info they needed to get a search warrant -- claimed Hoffman had 2 principal heroin suppliers. We're told the informant said Robert Vineberg was the main guy, but when he would run out of heroin Vineberg would send a guy named Max Rosenblum to get more smack from someone down the street.

As we reported, Vineberg was arrested in Tuesday's bust and has been charged with felony heroin possession with an intent to sell. He pled not guilty. Rosenblum has been charged with misdemeanor cocaine possession.

Three of the four people arrested in what cops believe may be a link to Philip Seymour Hoffman's death were in court, and have been arraigned on drug charges.

Robert Vineberg -- the man a police informant claims sold drugs to him and Hoffman -- pled not guilty to felony possession of heroin with an intent to sell.

Vineberg's attorney, Ed Kratt, tells TMZ, "these charges have NOTHING to do with the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman."

Juliana Luchkiw and Max Rosenblum are NOT charged with heroin possession. Instead, prosecutors have charged them with 1 count each for possession of cocaine ... a misdemeanor.

We spoke with the lawyer for Juliana who pled not guilty. The lawyer says his client has never met Hoffman.

A fourth man --Thomas Cushman -- was arrested but not charged with a crime due to lack of evidence.

TMZ broke the story .... an informant who triggered the bust has told cops ... Vineberg was Hoffman's main dealer, and the actor came by his apartment twice a week to score dozens of bags of heroin.

Joaquin Phoenix and Michelle Williams -- both of whom lost loved ones to ODs -- paid their respects Wednesday to Mimi O'Donnell -- the longtime partner of Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Phoenix -- who's brother River Phoenix died from a mixture of heroin and cocaine in 1993 -- paid a visit to O'Donnell's NYC apartment, accompanied by GF Allie Teilz.

Joaquin co-starred with Hoffman two years ago in "The Master."

Williams showed up a short time later. She co-starred with PSH in "Synecdoche, New York" in 2008 ... the same year her ex-partner -- Heath Ledger -- was found dead in his apartment from an accidental overdose of Rx meds.

O'Donnell's been receiving a number of well-wishers ... including Cate Blanchett and Jennifer Aniston's fiance, Justin Theroux.

Paul Walker's will was poorly drafted ... making it SEEM like he wanted his mom to wrestle parental control of his daughter from his baby mama-- yet in a strange twist of events, the will now reflects exactly what Paul would have wanted.

Paul's will was drafted back in 2001 ... and it makes his mother Cheryl the legal guardian of Meadow. It reeks of a family feud because there's no mention of Meadow's mother Rebecca Soteros.

The guardianship clause doesn't make sense ... because at the time the will was drafted Meadow lived with her mom in Hawaii .... and sources close to Paul say he was happy with the arrangement when he signed the will.

Now the twist of fate. Three years ago Meadow moved to Southern California to live with her dad and Rebecca stayed in Hawaii. Meadow wants to continue living in So. Cal. and Rebecca is fine with it ... she will continue to live in the Aloha state.

So now it makes complete sense for Paul's mom Cheryl to become the guardian of Meadow.

As TMZ first reported ... Paul's father -- executor of the will -- has petitioned the court to make Paul's mom guardian of Meadow. Cheryl will also be the trustee of Paul's $25 million estate -- which will eventually go outright to Meadow.

So ... Father did know best.

Philip Seymour Hoffman desperately told his drug dealer he was trying to kick his ever-growing heroin problem ... TMZ has learned.

An informant who has been working with NYC cops since Hoffman's death says he was privy to conversations between Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robert Vineberg -- one of the 4 people arrested last night in a heroin bust.

The informant -- who was central to cops obtaining a search warrant that led to the arrests -- claims Vineberg regularly sold heroin to Hoffman. He says in some of the text messages Hoffman told Vineberg he was struggling to kick his heroin habit and wanted nothing more than to clean up his life.

The informant was very specific, saying Hoffman bemoaned that the worst part of getting clean was uncontrollable bowel movements.

And according to the informant, he would often see Hoffman in Vineberg's apartment and he seemed like "a man on a mission." There was no small talk ... just business. And he says Hoffman always looked unhappy.

Philip Seymour Hoffman made multiple cash withdrawls from a supermarket ATM -- totaling $1200 -- the day before his death ... this according to law enforcement sources.

TMZ has confirmed Hoffman withdrew the money in six transactions inside the Manhattan supermarket.

Also ... police did not find the infamous "deadly heroin" in Hoffman's apartment. The mix of the powerful painkiller fentanyl and heroin caused dozens of deaths on the East coast this year ... but it was not among the drugs scattered around the apartment.