A former Democratic political donor who supplied drugs to two men who overdosed in his West Hollywood apartment was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in federal prison.
Ed Buck, 67, was convicted last year of nine felony counts stemming from the deaths of Gemmel Moore and Timothy Dean.
In a sentencing memorandum, federal prosecutors said he lured young Black men who were often experiencing homelessness, addiction, and/or poverty to his apartment for sexually charged sessions in which he would inject them with methamphetamine and drug them with sedatives, with and without their consent.
Before he was sentenced, Buck spoke briefly to U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder, and he apologized “for my part in the tragic deaths of Gemmel and Timothy.”
“These are men I cared for and loved,” Buck said. “I did not cause their deaths.”
He asked Snyder to “look at the good in my life,” saying he is not the “meth-fueled ax killer” the government portrayed him to be.
Snyder called the case “one of the most difficult and tragic” she has ever presided over.
“These lives mattered,” she said. “What happened here was reprehensible conduct.”
Moore and Dean died of methamphetamine overdoses 18 months apart — Moore in July 2017 and Dean in January 2019.
After less than a day of deliberations on July 27, 2021 — the four- year anniversary of Moore’s death — a federal jury in downtown Los Angeles found Buck guilty of all charged counts.
Buck solicited his victims in various ways, including using social media platforms, dating and escort websites, or via referrals from prior victims, including individuals he hired to do other work for him, offering a finder’s fee for referrals, evidence showed.
Buck — who has donated more than $500,000 to mostly Democratic causes and served in 2016 as one of California’s Electoral College members — was convicted of two counts of distribution of controlled substances resulting in death.
He was also found guilty of enticing Moore and another man to travel to Los Angeles to engage in prostitution; knowingly and intentionally distributing methamphetamine; and using his West Hollywood apartment for the purpose of distributing narcotics such as methamphetamine, and the sedatives gamma hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and clonazepam.
Prosecutors said Buck caused the deaths as a result of his “fetish” for injecting men with increasing doses of methamphetamine until they became comatose. The defense countered that the victims suffered from serious medical conditions that ended their lives.
Buck declined to testify in his own defense.
Over the course of the two-week trial, federal prosecutors called more than 20 witnesses, including four men who told of smoking methamphetamine that Buck provided and then being pressured to allow the defendant to inject them with the drug.
An acquittal motion argued that the only evidence that Buck distributed methamphetamine and other drugs at his apartment was bolstered by “the testimony of a parade of financially motivated houseless individuals” and drug addicts and should not have been believed, defense attorneys said.
WEHO CITY COUNCILMEMBERS’ STATEMENTS:
“I’m grateful to law enforcement, the federal jury, and Judge Snyder for making sure that justice was finally served.” — Mayor Lauren Meister
“Today’s sentencing of Ed Buck is in direct part because of community members and activists who wouldn’t stop until they got justice for Gemmel Moore and Timothy Dean. I hope today’s sentencing can bring solace to their families and friends that tragically lost their loved ones. We all owe a debt of gratitude to those that never stopped until Ed Buck was behind bars for what will equate to be the rest of his life.” — Councilmember John Erickson
“I hope this sentence brings some relief to the family and friends of Gemmel Moore, Timothy Dean and other victims. I was hoping for a longer sentence, but I am relieved that he is going to Federal Prison and justice has been served. A great amount of gratitude belongs to the activists who fought so hard and are part of “Justice for Gemmel + All of Ed Bucks Victims”. Without them, this criminal would still be living in West Hollywood and victimizing other Black men.” — Mayor Pro Tem Sepi Shyne
“30 years is a long time, but it doesn’t seem nearly long enough for the death of Mr Moore and Mr Dean, and for the damage done to the community. I hope this is the last we hear of this horrible tragedy while remembering the good names of Mr Moore and Mr Dean.” — Councilmember John D’Amico
WEHOville is awaiting a response from Councilmember Lindsey Horvath.
And it made a storyline on Law & Order.
And it made it onto L&O…riped from the headlines!
Convicted using evidence collected by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s department? I believe this entire case against Ed will be discharged. Irrespective of guilt, I do not trust the investigation. Yes, the victims deaths and impoverished lives are tragic. The surviving family and friends now have a permanent void and visions of an untimely death for each. I don’t mean to discount this sorrow. However, I do mean to point out the lack of democracy in West Hollywood law enforcement. I believe statistics and history demonstrate this. The crime rate increased 137%, complaints are not investigated, citizens brutalized, and, perhaps, worse.… Read more »
Huh? Dear god. Really? Two men we’re murdered. Get a frickin life.
Really?
Not much to work with here lady. I recommend a writing class at the community college.
Just meeting you at your level. Don’t throw out your worthless one word response you rude woman. My position, after four years on the debate team, is clearly substantiated and accurate. So Chloe…really!?
Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.
Former Councilmember uses it continually when speaking before city council to gain some form of strange endearment which fails every time.
Authenticity rarely fails. We can all do better.
Why Markpatrick? How rude and uncalled for.
Just saw this.
Lady? A writing class at at a community college
Debate team? Where?
Don’t throw out your worthless one word response you rude woman.”
Are you done? A sophist you are not. But thank you for taking time to comment.
Girl please! You are the one that initially came at me with the “really” comment. Did anyone even bother to consider the lack of law enforcement oversight in West Hollywood and California as a whole? This is not the way other states are organized. My intuition tells me that this was not an accident. How convenient that recorded wills are not being delivered upon receipt of a death certificate and there is no agency to order an investigation. The shady @#$! Bidens have brought their brand of filth to this city. Then they populate Homeland Security with the “family”. I… Read more »
I think it would be really helpful to get Jasmyne Cannick’s insight into the journey they went through to get this conviction and sentence. From what I’ve read it has involved a complicated relationship with the Sheriff’s Department, who ultimately was extremely helpful. It would also add to our conversation about public safety and the role of the Sheriff, since Cannick is not an abolitionist, yet wants reform.
Even. he Aspen Colorado Times covered Buck’s sentencing with an AP release. Fame or infamy?
Wow, even made it to The New York Times. Made me think of the demented Robert Durst, they could have been ghoulish cousins.
I thought of Durst as well…even to the desiccated face of Buck.
Don’t do meth, folks.
Ed Buck was a very disturbed man, but John D’Amico turned a blind eye to his antics with Buck putting him in office. D’Amico, Duran, Heilman, and Meister failed to return the thousands of dollars they received in campaign money. Many were old WEHO guys who were friends with Buck right up to his arrest, including planning commission members. Buck gave more big bucks to prominent Democrats, including a lot still in office. Karen Bass was the only one who returned the money. The rest bluffed or claimed they had given it to charities. The Cal Democrat Party chairman (kicked… Read more »
One of the most sickening sights was to see the nightly protests outside Ed Buck’s apartment, of people who rightly wanted him prosecuted, but the same protesters, didn’t have any interest in knowing what level of drug addict/junkie the two dead people were. Those two dead people the City Council of West Hollywood continues to love to pretend to care about, so they can act all pretend sanctimonious, trying to make it some racial issue, when it was a non-racial junkie issue. Those two, who voluntarily and repeatedly walked into Ed Buck’s apartment, knowing what was going to take place.… Read more »
The only solution is using social media and the courts to make sure the West Hollywood City Council is elected to obscurity. Starting with Lindsey Horvath… them Erickson and Shyne. They are no longer wanted in Boy’s Town!
Many perhaps don’t know and others have chosen not to remember but Ed Buck once ran for city council, well disguised as Mr. Golden Retriever Rescue. What lurked beneath!!!! Many upon immediate meeting recognized his toxic being and others went along for the financial largess. The same folks became the foundation of the D’Amico campaign including one former PC who is part of the ethics team and others who eventually inherited commissioner status. While these personalities are germinating in our midst, they demand close scrutiny as current issues prove. Several in the upcoming CC race have recast their personalities and… Read more »
Right on. D’Amico is another pompous assh–e who claimed he hadn’t any contact with Buck. Of course there’s the other old white guys, like Duran and Heilman, and girls, Meister, who took bucks from Buck. What a revolting city this has become with these dreadful people running it. And the SHE are the nail in the coffin of West Hollywood. Tomorrow, there’s some talk in park and that total creepy Erickson said bring a disposal cup!!!
All truth. Horvath had a pivotal role to play in justice being achieved yesterday.. while the numerous activists and regular residents kept the pressure on the ground. For people that were paying attention to the machinations of the Dem establishment throughout this whole mess, a lot remains unanswered.
I think the main reason John D’Amico hopes this is the last we hear about Ed Buck, is because Mr. D’Amico doesn’t want anyone to recall the close relationship he had with Ed Buck. Campaigning side by side, working on issues together, why those two were thick as thieves. Not difficult to find the photographs of them together. Personally, I’ve seen no evidence that Ed Buck gave out $500,000 in donations. I will add that his “victims” were not choir boys. My personal belief is they went to Ed Buck’s apartment, voluntarily, knowing what was going to take place. I… Read more »
Out campaigning , no time for weho
Thank goodness.
Horvath has no career! That’s the big joke. She’s like Erickson. Would anyone except civil servant managers hire these dregs? Horvath is probably in East Reseda streetwalking for votes…
OOOOOh.
People can say whatever they want about Lindsey Horvath, but she provided a lot of support for the “Justice for Gemmel + All of Ed Bucks Victims” movement. More-so than any other member of the Council. I applaud her for this. Maybe if the LASD had charged Buck with possession on the night of the first death, or had set up some sort of investigation on what was going on in his apartment afterwards, another person would not have died. And Buck wouldn’t have been a free man for another 2 or 3 years. I think they had enough evidence… Read more »
At the time, Horvath was the Mayor. She had to step up and the spotlight apparently suited her just fine.
How did he make so much money to donate those large sums?
There’s no evidence Ed Buck donated anything close to the $500,000 figure constantly thrown around. I think the more accurate figure is around $20,000, and some of that was when Ed Buck was a Republican in Arizona.
There’s no way he made that money and gave it freely. The man was a conduit for something much bigger. His whole backstory is full of financial holes that cannot account for the generosity and frequency of his donations.
I’d consider every single recipient complicit and suspect, absent some extenuating explanation.
The Ed Buck story is much bigger and way deeper than the criminal acts for which he will (most probably) die in custody.
100%. Watch for the long form investigative podcast on Pandora, lots of new details will be emerging soon.
Their investigative team did their due diligence more than anyone else— even more than some of the leaders closest to the case that we all know the names of, while having done honorable work, are still unwilling to risk their station in the Party to ask the hard questions of Dem establishment untouchables like Schiff etc.
thank you.
Good comment
I too always wondered about; and all whilst he lived in a apt in our mist. No pretensions in that – just plenty of narcotics.
A sad ending to a life with much potential.Ed Buck was found guilty and deserves what he got.This guy was a firecracker when he came on the scene in West Hollywood getting involved in local politics,but look at him now.
He stated at his sentencing, “These are men I cared for and loved,I did not cause their deaths”. Ha!! Really??!! Unbelievable!!
May God have mercy on his soul,whatever is left of it.