A former Los Angeles Angels employee accused of providing Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs with the drugs that caused his overdose death is set to go on trial in Texas, where Skaggs died in 2019.
Eric Prescott Kay faces charges of drug distribution and drug conspiracy in Skaggs’ death. Jury selection is scheduled to start Tuesday in a trial that has been postponed several times.
Federal prosecutors allege in court documents that Kay obtained oxycodone pills from various sources and distributed them to Skaggs and others from at least 2017 to 2019. Prosecutors say Kay also used the pills himself.
Skaggs, 27, was found dead in his suburban Dallas hotel room on July 1, 2019, before the start of what was supposed to be a four-game series against the Texas Rangers. The first game was postponed.
A coroner’s report said Skaggs had choked to death on his vomit with a toxic mix of alcohol and the drugs fentanyl and oxycodone in his system, which Kay is accused of providing.
Kay was the Angels’ director of communications, and he served as their public relations contact on many road trips. He was placed on leave shortly after Skaggs’ death, and never returned to the team.
Team officials have said they had not been aware that Skaggs was an opioids user and didn’t know any employees were providing drugs to players.
Five major league pitchers and former Angels infielder C.J. Cron are on the government’s witness list. Most would testify that Kay provided drugs to Skaggs and others, according to court records.
Boston’s Garrett Richards, who spent his first eight big league seasons with the Angels, would testify that Kay once asked him for unused oxycodone pills, according to prosecutors, who declined to comment through a spokeswoman.
Attorneys for Kay didn’t return messages seeking…