One of Liam Payne’s Supposed Drug Dealers Arrested

Arrest in Liam Payne’s Death Investigation

One of the individuals accused of selling drugs to Liam Payne before his tragic death has been taken into custody.

Details Surrounding Payne’s Passing

The former One Direction star passed away on October 16 after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo hotel. Argentine prosecutors later determined that the cause of death was multiple injuries, coupled with both internal and external bleeding.

On December 30, Judge Laura Brugnard, who is overseeing the investigation into Payne’s death, announced updates to the charges against five individuals connected to the case.

Among those charged is Brian Pize, a restaurant waiter accused of selling drugs to the late One Direction singer. Pize has been ordered to remain in preventive detention until the trial and was detained on Friday (January 3), as reported by Rolling Stone.

In November, Pize publicly acknowledged that he met Payne twice before his death and admitted to using drugs with him. Nonetheless, he maintained that he never provided Payne with drugs or accepted any payment from him.

Pize’s lawyer, Fernando Madeo Facente, has previously shared a statement with Rolling Stone, criticizing the prosecution’s actions and labeling the judge’s ruling as “completely arbitrary and illegitimate.”

“This resolution does nothing more than demonstrate that we believe there should be a witch hunt in this case,” Facente added. “(They) look for the culprits and accuse innocent people of committing crimes.” He refrained from commenting on Pize’s detention.

Pize is facing charges alongside hotel employee Ezequiel Pereira, who is also alleged to have sold drugs to Payne. If convicted, they could face a prison sentence ranging from four to 15 years. Additionally, Pize would be required to pay a fine of $4,900 (£3,945).

Pize has been accused of providing Payne with cocaine “in exchange for a price” during the early hours of Oct. 14, based on a statement from prosecutors last week. It is alleged that Payne used the drug while Pize spent time with him in his hotel room.

“Furthermore, on the same day, (Pize) is accused of delivering more cocaine for a price… between 10:03 a.m. and 10:44 a.m.,” prosecutors stated in their description of the charges. “Payne reportedly visited the defendant’s residence… took a taxi and returned to the hotel.”

Charges were brought against them due to their “imprudence and negligence” leading to Payne’s death. Recently, the charges against Nores were reduced, as he originally faced five to 15 years in prison for “abandonment resulting in death.”

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This development came shortly after Nores submitted a 91-page document in support of his defense regarding the abandonment charge.

In his statement, Nores contended that he was neither Payne’s doctor, attorney, nor representative and maintained that when he left Payne at the hotel on the day of his death, he was “greeting fans” and appeared to be in good condition.

“I was a friend who loved him dearly, who selflessly supported him to the best of my ability, and even spent my own funds to assist him, yet it was still insufficient,” Nores expressed. “I do not believe that I am deserving of the charges being levied against me.”

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The judge ultimately determined that Nores had assumed a “position of guarantor” to Payne’s family and was the primary contact for the singer at the hotel. Based on the autopsy report, Judge Brugnard noted that Payne’s “state of vulnerability was evident” at the time Nores departed the hotel, just 50 minutes before the musician’s fatal fall.

In her ruling, the judge stated that in an extremely vulnerable and intoxicated state, Payne “tried to leave his room via the balcony” before falling. “Payne’s awareness shifted, resulting in him seeking the balcony from his room,” she added, emphasizing that the hotel staff who assisted him back to his room “did not act maliciously” but were “unreasonable” in their actions.

She continued: “It is my belief that (Payne) attempted to walk away from the balcony where he was left, as medical examiners indicated he did not lose his balance. That is how the fall occurred.”

Addressing Nores’ involvement in the death, Brugnard stated that “he should have consulted a doctor, given the responsibilities he bore towards the family of the deceased. He ought to have done so without placing his trust in the hotel staff’s actions (with Payne).”