A former Los Angeles Angels employee was sentenced Tuesday for providing drugs to pitcher Tyler Skaggs that led to his 2019 overdose death in Texas.
Eric Kay, who was convicted in February of one count each of drug distribution resulting in death and drug conspiracy, was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison, the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times reported.
The judge presiding over the case sentenced Kay above the minimum 20 years for derogatory remarks he made during a prison phone conversation about Skaggs that prosecutors played in court, The Post and Associated Press reported.
The judge said those remarks showed that Kay refused "to accept responsibility and even be remorseful for something you caused,” the news outlets reported.
The Times reported that Skaggs was found dead in a Dallas-area hotel room on July 1, 2019, hours before the Angels were to play the Rangers.
According to the Associated Press, a coroner's report stated the 27-year-old choked on his own vomit, and a toxic mix of alcohol, fentanyl, and oxycodone was found in his system.
During Kay's trial, five major league players, including pitchers Matt Harvey, Cam Bedrosian, and Blake Parker, testified that between 2017-19, Kay gave them oxycodone pills, the news outlet reported.
According to the Associated Press, prosecutors granted Harvey immunity for his testimony.
The news outlet reported that Kay was with the team when they were in Texas, his first game back with the team since returning from rehab.
According to the news outlet, Kay was placed on leave after Skaggs died and then never returned to the team.
