LOS ANGELES
Ed Buck, a 67-year-old businessman and long-time figure of West Hollywood politics, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison for providing fatal doses of methamphetamine to two men who died at his apartment after he injected them with the drug.
Buck was sentenced by United States District Judge Christina A. Snyder. A restitution hearing in this case is scheduled for May 16.
At the conclusion of a nine-day trial in July 2021, a federal jury found Buck guilty of two counts of distribution of methamphetamine resulting in death, four counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, and two counts of enticement to travel in interstate commerce for prostitution.
Beginning no later than 2011 and continuing through September 2019, Buck engaged in a pattern of “party and play,” in which he solicited men – some of whom were homeless or struggling with drug addiction – to consume narcotics that he provided and perform sexual activities at his apartment, a ritual that prosecutors argued was “more than a fetish – it was a lethal and unchecked pattern of reckless disregard for human life.”
He exploited the wealth and power balance between himself and his victims by offering them money to use drugs.
The sentence imposed today will protect other potential victims and hopefully will bring some solace to the families of two men who needlessly died in Mr. Buck’s apartment.
“This defendant preyed upon vulnerable victims – men who were drug-dependent and often without homes – to feed an obsession that led to death and misery,” said United States Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison.
“Mr. Buck continues to pose a clear danger to society, as evidenced by him continuing to lure men to his apartment, even after he killed two men with lethal methamphetamine injections.”
“We fight every day, with every drug-related case, to bring justice to the victims and their families, and to protect our communities from the devastating effects of drug trafficking and abuse,” Wilkison added.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Sex Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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