A gay Democratic donor who has been under scrutiny since two men died of overdoses at his West Hollywood home was charged Tuesday with running a drug den there. Edward "Ed" Buck is a "violent, dangerous sexual predator" with "no regard for human life," according to the motion filed by Los Angeles County prosecutors. Buck, 65, is a well-known liberal activist who has donated tens of thousands to California candidates including Gov. Gavin Newsom, the AP reports. His Tuesday night arrest came after a third man overdosed at his apartment September 11, but survived, Newsweek reports. Buck has previously denied wrongdoing in the two deaths, but has not issued a statement since his arrest. A look at the case:
- Sex, drugs, and death: Buck has been accused of luring addicted, homeless black men to his home with the promise of money and shelter, then coercing them into doing crystal meth and engaging in sex acts—including what authorities say is a sexual fetish involving administering dangerous doses of drugs. A wrongful death suit filed by the family of one of the victims calls Buck a wealthy white man with "a predatory and injurious system of soliciting black men and watching them cling to life."