A neighborhood newspaper in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, is reporting that a young escort is dead after allegedly arranging a meeting with a political activist and donor in Los Angeles, who has been accused of pressuring young black men to take dangerous doses of drugs for his pleasure.

The WeHo Times reports that Gemmel Moore, 26, died on July 27 at the apartment of a man the newspaper refers to as Ed Buck. The newspaper reportedly obtained a medical examiner’s report that found Moore’s death was accidental, a result of methamphetamine use.

Moore had reportedly flown from Texas to Los Angeles to meet with Buck, who according to online records appears to have changed his name from Ed Buckmelter at some point — CrimeOnline cannot confirm his identity at this time. Moore’s mother Latisha Nixon told the WeHo Times that her son was previously acquainted with Buck, and had called her a year ago from Buck’s Los Angeles apartment claiming Buck had given him an unknown drug.

“My son filed a police report,” Nixon told WeHo Times. “…He filed a police report because he said that Buck had held him in his apartment or whatever and had shot him up with a needle with something he didn’t’ know what it was. He called me crying. Three minutes on the phone hollering and I’m like ‘What the hell is going on?’ He said ‘this man, he shot me up with something I don’t even know what it is,’ and I’m like, my son is having a breakdown or episode. But he sent me pictures of his arm, his arm was red.”

The Weho Times was not able to locate record of the police report, and had not yet obtained the photos Nixon spoke of.

According to the newspaper, Buck is a Democratic political donor:

“Buck, a one-time Republican, came to Southern California from Arizona several years ago and gained a reputation for making generous donations to the California and L.A. County Democratic Party and chair of Stonewall Democratic Club’s Political Affairs Committee.”

Moore’s mother admitted to the WeHo Times that her son began working as an escort while unemployed, and said that she had spoken to a friend of her son’s who also knew Mr. Buck — and she believes he is responsible for her son’s death.

“ … he told me that Ed Buck was one of my son’s clients and that Ed Buck was one of his clients as well,” Nixon said. “[Buck] would have my son to go out to… Santa Monica Boulevard looking for young gay black guys so he could inject them with drugs, see their reaction and how [they] would react and take pictures of them.”

Another friend told the WeHo Times that he had visited Buck’s apartment, where Buck allegedly encouraged him to inject methamphetamine, offering him extra money.

From the WeHo Times report:

The man, who gave WeHo Times his full name, but because of his vocation as a sex worker asked to be identified only as “Cameron,” says he also used drugs supplied by Ed Buck in the latter man’s apartment.

After accurately describing the interior of the apartment, with which this reporter is personally familiar, Cameron told WeHo Times Buck asked him if he’d ever “slammed,” a street term for intravenous meth use.

“I told him no, and that would take more money,” Cameron said, describing Buck’s reaction as “excited.”

Cameron said Ed Buck seemed to “get off on getting you higher and higher.”

CrimeOnline is not aware of any criminal investigation connected to Moore’s death.

Ed Buck reportedly did not respond to repeated interview requests from the WeHo Times. CrimeOnline reached out to the WeHo Times for additional comment on the report and has not yet received a response.

A family friend has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help Nixon pay for funeral expenses.

Feature photo: GoFundMe