Former Angels public relations director Eric Kay was sentenced to 22 years in prison by a federal judge on Tuesday in Fort Worth, Texas.
Kay was convicted in February of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in the death of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs. He was also convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Skaggs died in the early hours of July 1, 2019, after inviting Kay to his hotel room. Kay had been a drug supplier for Skaggs, as well as other Angels players. The jury ruled that the pill Kay gave Skaggs had fentanyl and that Skaggs would have survived but for the fentanyl in his system.
The conviction carried a minimum sentence of 20 years. According to the Washington Post, District Judge Terry Means said Kay faced a longer sentence because of remarks he made in prison.
“I hope people realize what a piece of s— he was,” Kay said of Skaggs on a recorded phone call while in prison that was played by prosecutors. “…Well, he’s dead, so f— him.”
Kay plans to appeal the conviction, a process that must begin after sentencing. Sentencing was delayed by several months after both of Kay’s lawyers left the case. One of those lawyers, Reagan Wynn, was suspended from practicing law on an unrelated matter in the months following Kay’s conviction.
Kay spoke on his behalf in court, as did members of his family, according to the Washington Post. Kay’s family would like for him to serve his sentence as close as possible to his Southern California home.
The case garnered national attention in February as numerous former Angels players testified that they illegally purchased pain pills from Kay, who had spent May 2019 in an outpatient rehab program. The Angels flew to Texas for a series with the Rangers on June 30, and the case was tried in Tarrant County.
The trial took eight days, and the jury deliberated for just over an hour before coming back with the guilty verdict. Prosecutors needed to show there was a preponderance of evidence (better than 50 percent) that Kay gave Skaggs the pills in the state of Texas.
The Skaggs family remains in active litigation with lawsuits in both California and Texas. Skaggs’ parents filed wrongful death lawsuits against both Kay and the Angels in Texas, while Skaggs’ widow, Carli, is suing the Angels in California, alleging negligence.
Kay was convicted in February of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in the death of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs. He was also convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Skaggs died in the early hours of July 1, 2019, after inviting Kay to his hotel room. Kay had been a drug supplier for Skaggs, as well as other Angels players. The jury ruled that the pill Kay gave Skaggs had fentanyl and that Skaggs would have survived but for the fentanyl in his system.
The conviction carried a minimum sentence of 20 years. According to the Washington Post, District Judge Terry Means said Kay faced a longer sentence because of remarks he made in prison.
“I hope people realize what a piece of s— he was,” Kay said of Skaggs on a recorded phone call while in prison that was played by prosecutors. “…Well, he’s dead, so f— him.”
Kay plans to appeal the conviction, a process that must begin after sentencing. Sentencing was delayed by several months after both of Kay’s lawyers left the case. One of those lawyers, Reagan Wynn, was suspended from practicing law on an unrelated matter in the months following Kay’s conviction.
Kay spoke on his behalf in court, as did members of his family, according to the Washington Post. Kay’s family would like for him to serve his sentence as close as possible to his Southern California home.
The case garnered national attention in February as numerous former Angels players testified that they illegally purchased pain pills from Kay, who had spent May 2019 in an outpatient rehab program. The Angels flew to Texas for a series with the Rangers on June 30, and the case was tried in Tarrant County.
The trial took eight days, and the jury deliberated for just over an hour before coming back with the guilty verdict. Prosecutors needed to show there was a preponderance of evidence (better than 50 percent) that Kay gave Skaggs the pills in the state of Texas.
The Skaggs family remains in active litigation with lawsuits in both California and Texas. Skaggs’ parents filed wrongful death lawsuits against both Kay and the Angels in Texas, while Skaggs’ widow, Carli, is suing the Angels in California, alleging negligence.