Democratic donor Ed Buck charged with running 'drug den' after another man overdosed in Los Angeles home - USA TODAY

Democratic donor Ed Buck charged with running 'drug den' after another man overdosed in Los Angeles home - USA TODAY

Ryan W. Miller USA TODAY

Published 7:54 AM EDT Sep 18, 2019

Prominent Democratic donor Ed Buck was arrested on suspicion of running a "drug den" after a man allegedly suffered a methamphetamine overdose at his Los Angeles home last week, authorities say.

Buck, 65, faces felony charges of battery causing serious injury, administering methamphetamine and maintaining a drug house, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office said in a statement Wednesday.

The 37-year-old man injected with methamphetamine survived the Sept. 11 incident, prosecutors say. However, at least two other men have been found dead in Buck's home from overdoses in recent years.

"With this new evidence, I authorized the filing of criminal charges against Ed Buck," Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a statement. 

In court papers, prosecutors describe how Buck allegedly preyed on men dealing with addiction and homelessness, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Gemmel Moore, 26, and Timothy Dean, 55, both African American men, died in Buck's West Hollywood apartment, and prosecutors said he "nearly killed a third victim last week."

"From his home, in a position of power, Buck manipulates his victims into participating in his sexual fetishes," prosecutors wrote in court papers, according to the Times.

Buck's bail was set at $4 million, and he is due in court Wednesday. He faces a possible maximum sentence of five years and eight months in state prison if convicted, prosecutors say.

USA TODAY has reached out to Buck's attorney, Seymour Amster, for comment.

In January, Los Angeles County sheriff's detectives said they were investigating after Dean was found dead. As with Moore's death in July 2017, Buck was present at the home when detectives responded, authorities said.

An autopsy report said Moore died of a methamphetamine overdose. He was found naked on a mattress in the living room with drug paraphernalia littered about.

In both cases, Amster described the men as friends of Buck and denied any wrongdoing by his client. Buck was not charged in either death at the time.

Buck is a former West Hollywood City Council candidate and well known in LGBTQ political circles in Los Angeles.

Contributing: The Associated Press. Follow USA TODAY's Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller

Let's block ads! (Why?)

2019-09-18 10:15:00Z

Bagikan Berita Ini