Kay Appeals Angels Overdose Conviction
Imprisoned former Angels executive Eric Kay argues a key witness lied under oath and asks for a new trial.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Drug Crime
Eric Kay, the former Los Angeles Angels communication director serving a 22-year sentence, filed a 75-page appeal asking that his conviction be vacated and a new trial ordered. The filing alleges a government witness lied under oath, stemming from the 2019 death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs from a fentanyl-laced pill Kay supplied.
Why it matters
The appeal challenges the evidence and representation underlying a high-profile federal drug-distribution conviction tied to a professional sports death. A ruling could affect whether Kay's sentence stands or the case is retried.
Kay is serving a 22-year sentence after a February 2022 jury verdict on distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death and conspiracy charges. The government has until December 31 to respond to his motion, and the court's ruling remains pending.
The players
Eric Kay
Former Los Angeles Angels communication director serving a 22-year sentence for supplying the fentanyl-laced pill that killed pitcher Tyler Skaggs.
Terry R. Means
Federal trial judge who presided over Kay's case and ruled in February that Kay could conduct additional discovery into the evidence.
The details
Kay's appeal alleges Southlake Police Department detective Delaney Green falsely testified that she extracted Skaggs' phone, when Detective Richard Weber performed the extraction. The filing also claims the phone was taken out of airplane mode and kept receiving messages for 17 days after Skaggs died on July 1, 2019.
Timeline
July 1, 2019: Tyler Skaggs died after ingesting a fentanyl-laced pill.
February 2022: A jury convicted Kay on drug distribution and conspiracy charges.
December 2025: The civil suit against the Angels by Skaggs' family settled after a three-month trial.
February 2026: Trial judge Terry R. Means allowed Kay additional discovery into the evidence.
October 31, 2026: Kay filed his criminal conviction appeal.
Legal Context
Kay's appeal follows the federal prosecution of fentanyl-related deaths, in which distributors are charged under distribution-resulting-in-death statutes. The Skaggs case sits within a broader pattern of such prosecutions reaching professional sports figures and the staff who supply them.
The outcome could determine whether a 22-year federal sentence for a fentanyl-linked death is upheld or reopened for trial. Readers following drug-distribution prosecutions will see how appellate courts treat claims of witness perjury and ineffective counsel.
The takeaway
Appeals can reopen convictions when evidence-handling or witness testimony is challenged, so case outcomes often hinge on procedural records. Readers tracking drug-death prosecutions should watch how the government responds before the December 31 deadline.
What happens next
The government must file its response to Kay's motion by December 31.
Further reading
Explore more Drug Crime reporting for context on federal fentanyl prosecutions.
