WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — A longtime Democratic activist and donor has been indicted for allegedly contributing to the death of a man in his West Hollywood apartment in January.
Ed Buck, 65, has been indicted on one charge of allegedly supplying methamphetamine to the late Timothy Dean, 55, who subsequently overdosed and died. He was the second man to die in Buck’s apartment in two years.
Dean performed in several dozen all-male titles between 2007 and 2016 as “Hole Hunter.”
“On September 19, Buck was indicted on the same charge relating to the death of Gemmel Moore, 26, who was found dead at the apartment in 2017. He is also accused of three other counts of distributing methamphetamine, in addition to previous charges including operating a drug house,” Newsweek reports.
Both Moore and Dean were African-American. Following Dean's death, a grassroots campaign, including a petition that drew 30,000 signatures, demanded prosecutors “immediately investigate and indict” Buck.
“Activists believed that Buck's privileged position as a prominent and wealthy white man had everything to do with the lack of charges filed,” notes Newsweek. “The situation dramatically changed in September, when Buck was finally arrested on charges related to his alleged crimes. His most recent indictment appears to be one of the last items on the list of demands that had been made by activists and supporters of the man's alleged victims.”
Dean’s sister thanked supporters for applying pressure to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office. "My family is overjoyed with the news today. We all are crying, but with joy,” said Dean’s sister in a statement to the media. “And to Ed Buck, you will never hurt and cause harm to another family."
The Advocate notes Dean was well-regarded in the community and was a member of the National Gay Basketball Association and the religious organization OneLA.
Image source: Advocate.com