The third man who suffered an overdose while in the West Hollywood home of Democratic donor Ed Buck thankfully survived, but he’s struggling to put his life back together as he faces an uncertain future and homelessness.
“Before I met Ed, before all of this happened, I’d never been out on the streets like this,” the man, identified only as “Joe Doe” told NBCLA in a telephone interview. “I always had pride that I had a job and a place to stay.”
It was Doe who handed over information necessary for the LA County District Attorney’s Office and the Sheriff’s Department to execute an initial arrest on multiple state felony charges.
Since then, Buck has been handed over to federal agents, and he is also facing charges of one count of distribution of methamphetamine resulting in death for the 2017 fatal overdose of Gemmel Moore.
If convicted, Buck faces between 20 years to life in prison.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Doe, a 37-year-old originally from Wisconsin, managed to flee Buck’s home as he feared he was suffering a meth overdose.
According to authorities, Buck tried to stop Doe from seeking medical attention, but he was able to get to a gas station and call 911.
In the 22-page federal complaint, ten men accused Buck of paying them to use drugs and dress in revealing underwear for his own pleasure. Many of those men say that they lost consciousness after Buck gave them a drink, and some said that they woke up to find him injecting drugs into their arms against their will.
After fleeing Buck’s home, Doe had nowhere to go, especially as he had no family in California.
He is currently working with activist Jasmyne Cannick, who has been an integral voice in calling for Buck’s arrest.
“People celebrate the arrest of Ed Buck. But they left this man homeless. He is now working but needed somewhere to live,” Cannick told the Times. “They were all taking a bow praising him while ignoring his well-being.”
Cannick paid for a hotel room using money from a GoFundMe campaign established to help Buck’s alleged victims, as they work toward a permanent solution.
The district attorney’s office told the Times that the Sheriff’s Department had tapped a community-based organization to help Doe find housing and other services he may need.
“Last Wednesday, our office assigned a victim services representative to assist Mr. Doe with any needs beyond what the community-based organization could provide. While housing was secured for Mr. Doe, he believed the location was not geographically suitable for his needs,” the statement claimed, adding that a victim services representative from the DA’s office has reached out to Doe to offer further assistance.