A grand jury has indicted former political donor and LGBTQ rights activist Ed Buck with four new felony counts in connection with the deaths of two Black men. The new indictments follow previous grand jury charges from last October, bringing the total number of charges to nine.
Police arrested Buck last September following the death of Timothy Dean, a 55-year-old Black man in his home in January 2019. Dean had overdosed on methamphetamine. It was not the first time a man had died in Buck’s home. In 2017, a 26-year-old Black man, Gemmel Moore, died of a methamphetamine overdose in Buck’s West Hollywood home as well.
Following his 2019 arrest, law enforcement accused Ed Buck of running a drug den out of his home, and of purposely luring black men there for sex. Activists have criticized the response by police and the Los Angeles County District Attorney for not arresting Buck following Moore’s death in 2017. Critics allege that Buck used his political connections to dodge criminal charges.
Related: Ed Buck indicted by federal grand jury for second overdose death
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Now, however, it appears Buck has exhausted his clout. “A federal grand jury today returned a superseding indictment charging Edward Buck with four additional felonies, including that he allegedly enticed victims – including a man who died at his West Hollywood apartment after he administered drugs to him – to travel interstate to engage in prostitution,” the Department of Justice wrote in a statement.
“The four additional counts charged today – bringing the total number of charges in this case to nine counts – include one count alleging that Buck knowingly enticed 26-year-old Gemmel Moore to travel to the Los Angeles area to engage in prostitution,” the statement continues. “Buck allegedly provided methamphetamine to Moore, who overdosed on the drug and died on July 27, 2017. Buck also is charged with another count of enticing another man to travel with the intent of engaging in prostitution.”
“The superseding indictment also charges Buck with one count of knowingly and intentionally distributing methamphetamine, and one count of using his residence for the purpose of distributing narcotics such as methamphetamine, and the sedatives gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and clonazepam,” the Department of Justice continues.
The previous five indictments also allege that Buck would solicit Black men for sex and use of methamphetamine using social media, dating sites and intermediaries. He would then inject the men–with or without consent, and occasionally while his victim was unconscious–with methamphetamine and additional narcotics.
Buck’s trial is slated to begin in January 2021. If convicted, Buck could spend the rest of his life in prison.
Cam
We need to investigate donations to DAs nationwide. Remember, the Manhattan DA didn’t pursue fraud charges against Ivanka and Don Jr Trump, and dropped a criminal charge against Harvey Weinstein, against the wishes of other prosecutors, after he got “Donations” from their lawyers.
Send this guy to trial, and investigate why police and prosecutors took years to bring charges.
Creamsicle
Manhattan didn’t pursue those fraud charges because the Trump org settled with the fraud victims out of court and added a stipulation that the victims not participate eith fraud investigators. It was only recently that courts threw out that agreement, or at least that clause. I don’t remember what the justification was though.
Vince
“He would then inject the men–with or without consent, and occasionally while his victim was unconscious–with methamphetamine and additional narcotics.”
Oh come on. You don’t have to trick a meth addict to do meth and if they’re unconscious how would they know he injected them. I get it that no one likes Buck but this is just ridiculous.
Creamsicle
Finally. People have been trying to bring attention to this man’s predatory and deadly pattern of behavior for YEARS at this point.
A second man is dead because law enforcement gave Buck white glove service. This country is slipping into oligarchy, and it cannot be blamed solely on the Republicans. Democrats have been bought as well.
Get money out of politics. Fully federally funded elections, the lobbyist and campaign manager’s nightmare, would stop forcing our leaders to whore themselves out for campaign contributions.
LumpyPillows
Hard to call this predatory. The boys liked to party. This is what happens sometimes and why drugs are bad.
Cam
@LumpyPillows
If you read the stories about it, some of the guys were there for sex, didn’t want the drugs, one ran out, called police etc. but nothing was done.
Chrisk
Cam
Based on that picture I can’t imagine somebody coming over to do that and money or drugs not being involved.
Cam
@Chrisk
I didn’t say money wasn’t involved!
Creamsicle
Some of his victims were willing to abuse drugs, but his fetish was being the one to administer the meth and encouraging them to do more and more with no regard for their safety. He chose addicts because they would indulge his fetish, were unlikely to be missed, and were so hard up for drugs and money that they would agree to have sex with him at all.
He was never going to stop indulging in his fetish and killing men with meth. He already got caught and released in 2017, and it wasn’t enough to stop him from killing another man in 2019. He is a danger to others, and likely to himself, and should be removed from society.
In a better world, Buck would be offered the resources for rehabilitation. Maybe he can start donating to Progressives with a prison reform agenda that prioritizes rehabilitation and humane conditions instead of punishment?
Dwight
Trump was asked about this case, too. He said “I wish him well.”