FORT WORTH —
A former Angels communications director was discovered responsible Thursday of distributing fentanyl and giving Tyler Skaggs the medication that triggered the Angels pitcher’s loss of life in a suburban Dallas resort room in 2019, concluding a trial that yanked Main League Baseball to the middle of the nationwide opioid disaster.
Eric Kay, 47, faces 20 years to life in a federal jail and as much as a $1-million tremendous. His sentencing is scheduled for June 28.
The 12-person jury listened to closing arguments in U.S. District Courtroom on Thursday morning earlier than reaching a verdict after lower than 90 minutes of deliberation. Along with discovering Skaggs responsible of committing the crimes in Texas, the jury agreed with the federal government that “however for” the fentanyl, Skaggs wouldn’t have died.
With Kay convicted, the eye will shift to the civil lawsuits the Skaggs household has filed in opposition to the Angels in Texas and California.
“We're very grateful to the federal government and the jury for seeing this necessary case by to the appropriate verdict,” the Skaggs household mentioned in a press release. “Tyler was the sunshine of our household. He's gone, and nothing can ever carry him again. We're relieved that justice was served, though immediately is a painful reminder of the worst day within the lifetime of our household.”
Kay’s demeanor didn't shift when Choose Terry R. Means learn the decision. His arms have been folded on the desk in entrance of him. He remained stoic. His household and pals within the gallery seemed to be in shock. Skaggs’ mom, Debbie Hetman, slumped and cried. She and Skaggs’ spouse, Carli, later hugged and cried collectively, rejoicing simply ft away.
Moments later, Kay spoke in court docket for the primary time since pleading not responsible final week. His feelings didn't waver.
“I’m sorry, however I've to order you taken into custody,” Means mentioned.
“I perceive, your honor,” Kay mentioned.
U.S. marshals requested Kay to take off his swimsuit jacket and tie, and take away all objects from his pockets. One official requested him what one thing was. Antidepressants, Kay answered. One in every of Kay’s attorneys gave his mom, Sandy, his belongings as he was handcuffed. His sister, Kelly,left the courtroom in tears as soon as her brother was escorted out.
“We thought there have been many causes to doubt the federal government’s case,” mentioned Reagan Wynn, considered one of Kay’s two attorneys. “This can be a tragedy all the way in which round. Eric Kay is on the brink of do a minimal 20 years in federal penitentiary, and it goes up from there. And Tyler Skaggs is gone. It’s a tragedy. There’s no winners in any of this. It’s a tragic day.”
Skaggs was discovered useless in Room 469 of the Hilton Southlake/Dallas City Sq. simply after 2 p.m. CDT on July 1, 2019. He was 27. The Angels had flown to Texas from Lengthy Seaside Airport the earlier evening to start a collection in opposition to the Texas Rangers that day.
An post-mortem report concluded that Skaggs, who choked on his vomit, had fentanyl, oxycodone and alcohol in his system. Greater than a 12 months later, Kay, who had labored for the Angels since 1996, was charged with conspiracy to own with intent to distribute fentanyl “starting in or earlier than 2017.” Kay turned himself in on Aug. 7, 2020.
In October 2020, a federal grand jury indicted Kay on two felony counts: the earlier conspiracy cost and with “knowingly and deliberately” distributing the fentanyl that led to Skaggs’ loss of life. In November 2021, six days earlier than Kay’s trial was scheduled to start out, prosecutors secured a superseding indictment that added oxycodone to the unique conspiracy distribution cost.
After six delays over 14 months, the trial started Feb. 10. Over the subsequent week, the federal government made its case, partially by calling 4 former Angels participant to testify that they'd obtained medication from Kay between 2017 and 2019. The protection started and rested its case with six witnesses Wednesday.
All alongside, the federal government needed to not simply persuade the jury that Kay dedicated the crimes however that it was “extra doubtless than not” they occurred in Texas.
Extra folks crammed the gallery for closing arguments Thursday morning than within the trial’s first eight days. A sketch artist sat within the first row, on the left aspect dealing with the proceedings, with a transparent view of Kay. The decide, after apologizing for his congested throat, learn jury directions for 23 minutes. A big whiteboard with a timeline the prosecution constructed all through the trial stood close to the jury field.
Kay noticed the closing arguments from the place he has since first getting into Room 205 final Tuesday: on the far finish of a picket desk throughout from the jury, subsequent to his lawyer Michael Molfetta, for essentially the most half shielding emotion as particulars of his drug dependancy have been unearthed and dissected yet another time.
Assistant U.S. Atty. Lindsey Beran was given the ground first. She started her 28-minute argument by contending that Kay, and solely Kay, may’ve given Skaggs the medication that killed him. She asserted Kay gave Skaggs the medication in Texas. She mentioned Kay was Skaggs’ solely supply for blue 30-milligram oxycodone drugs — and a supply for not less than six different former Angels gamers over three years. Beran contended that Kay gave Skaggs the blue capsule that was present in his room after his loss of life.
She argued Kay was responsible of the conspiracy depend with out even giving the medication to Skaggs — by mendacity to the Southlake Police Division on July 1 about seeing Skaggs in his resort room the earlier evening when he later admitted he went to Skaggs’ room; by contacting Ashley Smith, an alias for a California girl who the federal government alleged offered Kay the drugs that killed Skaggs, later that evening; and by telling Matt Harvey, who testified receiving a blue oxycodone capsule from Kay on June 30, that they need to “stick collectively” when the 2 noticed one another two days later in Texas.
Beran identified that to be discovered responsible of the second cost, Kay didn’t must know the medication he gave Skaggs contained fentanyl. She pointed to the textual content alternate between Kay and Skaggs on the afternoon of June 30 — when, the prosecution argued, Kay purchased medication from Smith.
“What number of?” Kay requested. “Only a few, like 5,” Skaggs replied. “Don’t want many.”
She argued that texts later that day confirmed Kay was the one particular person Skaggs noticed after he checked into his resort room at 11:43 p.m. CDT. 4 minutes later, Skaggs texted Kay his room quantity — 469 — and advised him to “come by.” Kay responded, “Okay,” three minutes later. The final textual content from Skaggs’ telephone was despatched to his spouse at 12:02 a.m.
Beran cited Harvey’s testimony, emphasizing that Harvey, below oath, mentioned he gave Skaggs pink drugs in early June, however not any blue oxycodone drugs. She mentioned Skaggs’ Google seek for KP56 pink drugs on June 7 corroborated Harvey’s story.
She recalled testimony from three of the previous Angels gamers — Harvey, Cam Bedrosian and Blake Parker — who all mentioned “it may’ve been me.”
“There was one one that went into that room and gave Tyler Skaggs fentanyl,” Beran mentioned. “That particular person was Eric Kay, and Tyler Skaggs is useless due to that.”
Molfetta vigorously countered over half-hour, emphasizing that the federal government wished the jury to make too many assumptions.
He rhetorically requested the jury why Kay would give go away an oxycodone capsule for Harvey at his locker at Angel Stadium and wait to provide Skaggs his drugs in Texas. Kay had entry to Skaggs. The participant, Molfetta repeated, wasn’t “an emperor.” Kay, in line with Molfetta, didn’t disguise from distributing and abusing medication, however he did it solely in California.
He reiterated the protection’s argument that Chris Leanos, a drug seller and Skaggs’ shut pal, may’ve dropped off the drugs to Skaggs earlier than the Angels traveled to Texas after Skaggs had requested if Leanos knew of anybody who may get him drugs per week or two earlier. Leanos mentioned he offered varied medication however not oxycodone, and Molfetta mentioned he discovered that troublesome to imagine from an individual who was given immunity for all times and admitted to “250 drug transactions” within the final three years.
Molfeta argued that proof confirmed that Skaggs’ stepbrother, Garet Ramos, deleted textual content messages from Skaggs’ telephone when he was in possession of it on the Southlake police station July 1. He mentioned the telephone was additional tampered with over the next weeks as a result of video of Skaggs’ memorial was discovered on it.
He questioned why the federal government didn’t attempt to discover Smith, who the proof confirmed, he mentioned, “was handing these items out like sweet.”
“They need you to scrub up California’s mess,” Molfetta mentioned.
He asserted the federal government didn’t go after Smith as a result of “there’s no cachet.” He argued the federal government wished to make a press release, spending hundreds of dollars in taxpayer cash for skilled witnesses to push a story. “Do you suppose if Eric Kay was useless,” Molfetta mentioned, “you’d be right here?”
Molfetta questioned: When “does a grown man” dwelling a lifetime of “full luxurious” take accountability for his personal actions? “A younger man died due to his demons,” Molfetta mentioned.
On Thursday, one other man came upon he’ll spend not less than the subsequent twenty years in jail.
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