Eric Kay, a former Los Angeles Angels employee, was sentenced to 22 years in prison on Tuesday (October 11) for the death of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, who died of an overdose in 2019. Kay was convicted on one count each of drug distribution resulting in death and drug conspiracy, as prosecutors claim that he gave Skaggs counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl.
Kay faced at least 20 years on one of the two counts, and U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means gave Kay an additional two years after Kay was recorded making disparaging comments about Skaggs and his family in a recorded jailhouse conversation after his conviction.
In the phone call, Kay stated, "All they see are dollar signs. They may get more money with him dead than [when] he was playing because he sucked." Kay also stated, "I'm here because of Tyler Skaggs. Well, he's dead. So f*** him."
Kay addressed his comments during his trial, stating, "That's disgusting. I don't know why I said that. I was mad at the world."
Judge Means stated that Kay displayed "a callousness and refusal to accept responsibility and even be remorseful for something that you caused." He added, "Tyler Skaggs wasn't a perfect person, but he paid the ultimate price for it."
The Skaggs family released a statement following the sentencing, "We are very grateful to everyone who worked so hard to investigate and prosecute Eric Kay. Today's sentencing isn't about the number of years the defendant received. The real issue in this case is holding accountable the people who are distributing the deadly drug fentanyl."
Source: ESPN
