Former Angels employee indicted in overdose death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs
FILE – In this June 29, 2019, file photo, Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs throws to the Oakland Athletics during a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif. Federal prosecutors say a former Angels employee has been charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in connection with last year’s overdose death of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs. Prosecutors in Texas say Eric Prescott Kay was arrested in Fort Worth, Texas, and made his first appearance Friday, Aug. 7, 2020, in federal court. Kay was communications director for the Angels. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
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LOS ANGELES (NewsNation Now) — A former Angels employee was indicted Friday by a federal grand jury in Texas in connection with the drug overdose death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs.
Eric Kay, who worked in the team’s media relations department for 24 years, is charged in the indictment with distributing the drug fentanyl that caused Skaggs’ death. A federal grand jury in Texas, where Skaggs died, returned the indictment, which was filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Fort Worth.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration filed a criminal complaint against Kay in August, charging him with illegal possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He was arrested that month but has yet to enter a plea.
Text messages from June 30, 2019 between Skaggs and Kay show the pitcher asked for pills to be delivered to his hotel room, according to a criminal complaint written by Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Geoffrey Lindenberg.
Skaggs, 27, died in July 2019 at his Texas hotel room before the Angels were scheduled to play the Texas Rangers. A toxicology report revealed fentanyl and oxycodone in his system.
Skaggs pitched seven seasons in the major leagues, the first two with the Arizona Diamondbacks (2012-13) and the rest with the Angels (2014, 2016-19). The left-hander had a career record of 28-38 with a 4.41 ERA in 96 starts.
