Eric Kay watched Tyler Skaggs do drugs

FORT WORTH, Texas — A former Los Angeles Angels worker accused of providing the opioids that contributed to Tyler Skaggs’ overdose death advised a colleague he watched the Angels pitcher do medication the night time earlier than he was discovered useless in a suburban Dallas lodge room, in response to testimony Monday.

Eric Prescott Kay, who faces expenses of drug distribution and drug conspiracy, confided in Adam Chodzko about two weeks after Skaggs’ 2019 dying that he was in Skaggs’ room, Chodzko testified at trial.

Kay advised Chodzko he turned down a suggestion from Skaggs to take medication with him, Chodzko testified. Kay had simply returned to the crew from a stint in drug rehab and was considered one of Chodzko’s subordinates on the Angels’ public relations employees on the time.

Kay stated he noticed three strains of medicine on a desk and watched Skaggs snort them earlier than leaving the room, in response to Chodzko, who’s now the Angels’ director of communications.

One among Kay’s protection attorneys stated in opening arguments that Skaggs wasn’t in medical misery when Kay left his room. And a police detective testified on Monday — the fourth full day of testimony in Kay’s trial — that Kay lied in regards to the final time he noticed Skaggs within the hours after the pitcher was discovered useless.

Skaggs, 27, was discovered useless July 1, 2019, after the crew had traveled from Los Angeles and earlier than the beginning of what was presupposed to be a four-game sequence in opposition to the Texas Rangers. A coroner’s report stated Skaggs had choked to dying on his vomit, and a poisonous mixture of alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone had been in his system.

Kay served because the crew’s public relations contact on many street journeys, and the journey to Texas was his first since getting back from rehab. Kay was positioned on go away shortly after Skaggs’ dying, and by no means returned to the crew.

Federal prosecutors allege Kay gave Skaggs counterfeit oxycodone drugs that contained fentanyl after the crew arrived in Texas. The protection says Kay final gave Skaggs medication in California and that there’s no technique to know whether or not fentanyl led to his dying.

Chris Leanos, who testified Monday beneath immunity and admitted he was a drug seller, stated he noticed what he presumed to be a drug-related transaction between Skaggs and Kay at an Angels’ charity occasion. Leanos testified that he guarded a toilet door after Skaggs went in.

Skaggs requested Leanos for oxycodone a couple of week or two earlier than he died, Leanos testified. Leanos, who stated he had been mates with Skaggs since 2007, stated he didn’t deal oxycodone and warned Skaggs that these drugs could possibly be harmful.

Protection legal professional Michael Molfetta badgered Leanos on cross-examination, questioning how Leanos may say “something you need and never get prosecuted for it.”

After making an attempt to get an estimate from Leanos of what number of drug offers he had accomplished since 2018, Molfetta requested, “What’s the identify and variety of your cocaine provider?” Leanos didn’t must reply as a result of the prosecution’s objection was sustained.

Southlake police Sgt. Jonathan Macheca testified that Kay stated he by no means noticed Skaggs on the night time the crew checked into the lodge. Kay additionally by no means talked about seeing medication or figuring out Skaggs used medication, Macheca stated.

Prosecutors detailed a number of communications alleged to be Kay arranging for medication to be dropped at Angel Stadium, and retired DEA agent Michael Ferry stated former Angels pitcher Garrett Richards and Skaggs despatched tons of of {dollars} to Kay in a number of transactions by means of Venmo.

Richards is amongst seven for LA gamers on the witness record. Andrew Heaney, considered one of Skaggs’ closest mates on the crew, testified on the primary day of the trial. One other witness is pitcher Matt Harvey, about whom the protection has made a number of solutions of a drug-related relationship between him and Skaggs.