An opulent West Hollywood man was found guilty Tuesday of drug trafficking and preying on vulnerable men. He was charged with two deaths caused by methamphetamine overdoses at his apartment.A jury found Ed Buck guilty of nine federal charges after four-and-a-half hours of deliberation. This includes two counts of inducing men to travel with intent to engage in prostitution and providing methamphetamine leading to death. BuzzFeed News was informed by a spokesperson for Department of Justice.Buck, who is now 66 years old, could spend his entire life in prison due to the convictions. Each conviction for distribution of drug resulting in death comes with a mandatory minimum sentence in federal prison of 20 years and a maximum sentence of life without parole.It was not possible to immediately provide a date for sentencing.According to the Los Angeles Times, the verdict came after a nine-day trial in which dozens of witnesses testified, including Black men who said that Buck hired them to "prance around" in their underwear and get high on crystal meth.Witness testimony, graphic videos, and photos show how Buck solicited men for "party-and-play" encounters. He also pressured them to use drugs by offering them more money to take larger quantities or allow him to inject them. The Times reported that several men testified that Buck gave them drugs while they were unconscious or without their consent.Buck, a former candidate for West Hollywood City Council and LGBTQ activist, was once a prominent figure within Arizona and California political circles. Any association with Buck was seen as a liability after the 2017 overdose death at his apartment of 26-year old Gemmel Moore and the extensive media coverage that followed. Authorities launched an investigation into Timothy Dean's death in his apartment in January 2019, but it was only after Gemmel Moore died from overdose and the widespread media coverage that Buck was considered a liability.After a third man had overdosed in Buck's apartment, Buck was arrested and taken into custody. He survived. He still faces state drug and battery charges.
