Former Los Angeles Angels employee Eric Kay walked out of federal court Tuesday during his trial on federal drug distribution and conspiracy charges. Kay was convicted on Thursday of providing drugs to Angels thrower Tyler Skaggs that resulted in his death.
LM Otero / AP
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LM Otero / AP
Former Los Angeles Angels employee Eric Kay walked out of federal court Tuesday during his trial on federal drug distribution and conspiracy charges. Kay was convicted on Thursday of providing drugs to Angels thrower Tyler Skaggs that resulted in his death.
LM Otero / AP
Eric Prescott Kay, a former communications director for the Los Angeles Angels, was found guilty on Thursday of supplying drugs that resulted in The overdose death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs in 2019.
Kay was found guilty of each drug distribution leading to death and drug conspiracy, Related press reported. He faces life in prison when he is sentenced on June 28.
Kay served as the team’s public relations officer on several outings. The trip to Texas in 2019 was his first since returning from rehab, the AP reported. He was then placed on leave shortly after Skaggs’ death, as he did not return to the team.
Skaggs, 27, was found unresponsive at a hotel in Southlake, Texas, on July 1, 2019, according to authorities. He was in Texas for the Angels’ series against the Texas Rangers.
Skaggs was picked by the Angels in the 2009 draft and traded for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Angels acquired Skaggs for the 2014 season and he has since acquired it post record 25-32.
The toxicology report published by the Tarrant County medical examiner in 2019 said Skaggs’ cause of death was a mixture of “drunk, fentanyl and oxycodone” and that Skaggs had essentially choked on his vomit. when affected. Autopsy results revealed the presence of opioids and alcohol in his body, according to officials.
“This case is a sobering reminder: Fentanyl kills. Anyone who trades fentanyl – whether on the street or outside the world-famous baseball stadium – puts their buyer at risk. No who is immune to this deadly drug,” US Attorney Chad E. Meacham said in a statement to the AP.
Court records show that during a search of Skaggs’ phone, text messages from the day before his death show that he invited Kay to his hotel room with drugs that night, CNN reported.
The trial of the former Angels employee included testimony from five MLB players who said they received oxycodone from Kay at various times between 2017 and 2019, AP reported. During those years Kay was charged with providing drugs to players while also using drugs himself, court documents show.
One of the players, pitcher Matt Harvey, testified in court this week, admitting to cocaine use in both New York and California.
Harvey testified that he received oxycodone from Kay but also admitted to taking them for Skaggs, CBS Sports reported. Harvey is currently out of contract after appearing for the Baltimore Orioles last season.
In 2019, MLB announced changes to its drug use and testing policyremoving marijuana from “drugs of abuse” while adding mandatory tests for cocaine and opioids.
Players who test positive for banned substances, including fentanyl and LSD, is evaluated and a treatment plan is prescribed. Those who do not follow the federation’s plan may be punished.
The policy went into effect during the spring 2020 training session.
