West Hollywood businessman Ed Buck was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after giving lethal doses of methamphetamine to two men during his personal sex parties.

Buck, 67, hosted what the Department of Justice said were “party-and-play” sessions where he would invite men to his apartment, drug them and have them perform sexual acts on him.

These parties led to the deaths of Gemmel Moore in 2017 and Timothy Dean in 2019, both due to methamphetamine overdoses.

“He exploited the wealth and power balance between himself and his victims by offering them money to use drugs,” The Department of Justice said in a media release. “Buck solicited his victims in various ways, including using social media platforms, dating and escort websites, or via referrals from his prior victims, to whom he offered finder’s fees.”

It is believed Buck hosted these parties from 2011, to September 2019 and Buck was said to be giving his guests not only methamphetamines, but GBH, AKA the “date rape drug” and clonazepam which is a sedative.

Buck would prepare the drugs in syringes, giving his guests more than what they consented to and even injecting people while being passed out. Victims also testified that Buck would perform sexual acts on guests while they were unconscious.

“This defendant preyed upon vulnerable victims – men who were drug-dependent and often without homes – to feed an obsession that led to death and misery,” U.S. Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison said in a statement. “Mr. Buck continues to pose a clear danger to society, as evidenced by him continuing to lure men to his apartment, even after he killed two men with lethal methamphetamine injections. The sentence imposed today will protect other potential victims and hopefully will bring some solace to the families of two men who needlessly died in Mr. Buck’s apartment.”

Defense attorney Mark J. Werksman argued that the court’s treatment of Buck was, “extremely prejudicial and irrelevant character evidence, which included a concerted effort to kink-shame Mr. Buck by presenting graphic images and videos of his sexual fetishes.”

On July 27, 2021, Buck was found guilty of two counts of distribution of methamphetamine resulting in death, four counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, and two counts of enticement to travel in interstate commerce for prostitution.

The case investigated by The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI after Buck was taken into federal custody back in September 2019.

“As the Sheriff of Los Angeles County, I stand with the victims of crime,” Sheriff Alex Villanueva said. “Investigators worked tirelessly to put together a fileable case which was ultimately presented to the United States Attorney’s Office. I am especially thankful to the prosecuting Assistant United States Attorneys for their commitment to seek justice for the victims and their families.”

Buck was a prominent political donor with hundreds of thousands of dollars contributed, most often, to Democratic causes and candidates.

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